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m\. 4 1969 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVIII NO. 1 
JANUARY 2, 1969 



FARMERS TO OWN • 
CREDIT SYSTEM 

Complete farmer-ownership of the 
Farm Credit System will soon be a real- 
itj', according to an announcement by 
Robert B. Tootell, Governor of the Farm 
Credit Administration. He said this ac- 
complishment is expected within the 
next few months when all Government - 
owned capital in the credit system is 
paid off by Federal intermediate credit 
banks, banks for cooperatives, and pro- 
duction credit associations. 

The FCA is the supervisory agency of 
the Farm Credit System, initiated in 
1916 to provide credit to fit the needs 
of American agriculture. Peak Govern- 
ment capital in the System was S638 
million in the late 1930's. 

The farmer-financing system includes 

12 Federal land banks which provide 
long-term mortgage loans through some 
680 Federal land bank associations: 453 
production credit associations which ex- 
tend short- and intermediate-term loans 
for farm operating expenses and capital 
improvements; 12 Federal intermediate 
credit banks which discount loans made 
by production credit associations; and 

13 banks for cooperatives which extend 
loans to farmers' cooperatives. 

The 12 Federal land banks have been 
farmer-owned since 1947; their asso- 
ciations have always been farmer-owned. 



Health Plans To Change 

Benefit changes — most of them mi- 
nor — will be made in many of the USDA 
employee health benefit plans, and many 
plans will increase their premiums for 
the contract term which begins this 
month. 

Rate increases are necessary primarily 
because of increased hospital and medi- 
cal care costs and, in some plans, be- 
cause of needed improvements in bene- 
fits. 

Salary deductions covering any in- 
crease in premium will begin with pay 
period No. 1 1 1-12-69 to 1-25-69). 

Each employee will be provided with 
a Civil Service Commission pamphlet for 
more detailed information on specific 
changes in health plans. 




AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE was well represented at the 1968 Annual New Jersey Edu- 
cation Association Convention in Atlantic City recently. Mrs. Betty Smith and Ray Gray, ARS, 
Eastern Administrative Division, Personnel Branch, Hyattsville, Md., manned the USDA-ARS exhibit 
at the 2V2 day convention — the largest education meeting in the world. High praise for the exhibit 
and personnel came from Gregory J. Moraetis, New York Region, Civil Service Commission. In a 
letter to ARS Personnel Division Director Glavis Edwards, Moraetis said the participation of ARS in 
the convention "advanced immeasurably your program for expanded communications with the public 
and contributed significantly to our State wide school information program. The warm response of 
teachers and school administrators to the efforts of the ARS and other participating agencies, speaks 
well for our continuing efforts to present a more favorable image of the Federal Service, and attract 
quality personnel. I should like also to commend Mrs. Smith and Mr. Gray whose efforts on behalf 
of your exhibit reflected most favorably upon themselves and your agency." 



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WORK UNIT CONSERVATIONIST Neal Munch of the Soil Conservation Service, standing waist Jeep 
in a farm pond near his Freehold, N.J. headquarters, places an experimental duck nest while 
assistant State game manager Paul McLain of New Jersey lends a hand. Many a brood of ducklings 
is being hatched these days in such accommodations. Migrating ducks and geese today depend on 
agricultural land for food, cover, and winter quarters. They depend on the farm ponds, irrigation 
developments, and other water impoundments — some in areas where no water stood before. The 
SCS helps farmers and ranchers improve and create waterfowl habitat through regular soil conser- 
vation practices. 



Agri Briefs 



Controlling the height of standing 
wheat stubble not only traps snow but 
also parliallv controls snownielt. That's 
the finding of DR. \S AYNE O. WILLIS, 
Agricultviral Research Service soil scientist, 
in reseai'cii conducted in the Northern 
Great Plains. Wheat stubble, standing up 
to 20 inches, makes the snowpack melt 
faster than snow on bare ground. Tlic 
trick is to catch and hold the water. In 
this seJTii-arid area, where snowfall con- 
tributes about 20 per<-ent of the annual 
precipitation, spring wheat requires 8—10 
inches of water before grain is produced. 
Each additional inch of soil water added 
to this base produces three or more bush- 
els of wheat per acre. Studies by Dr. 
Willis and ARS soil scientist Howard J. 
Haas are underway at the Northern Great 
Plains Research Center, Mandan, N. Dak., 
to determine the best wa> of putting these 
findings to use in managing snow drifts 
and holding snowmelt water on the land. 



A chart story of U.S. agriculture — from 
farm inputs to world trade — is contained 
in the recently published HANDBOOK 
OF AGRICULTURAL CHARTS, 1968. 
This reference book for economists and 
agribusinessmen has data in 157 charts 
on the general economy, farm commod- 
ities, foreign agricultural trade, market- 
ing, farm population, and on family levels 
of living. The publication is the combined 
elVort of four USDA agencies: Economic 
Research Service, Foreign Agricultural 
Service, Agricultural Research Service, 
and Statistical Reporting Service. Single 
copies of the handbook (AH— 359) are 
available free from the Office of Informa- 
tion, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Washington, D.C. 20250. The charts are 
also available at cost, individually or in 
full series, in black and white photos or 
color slides. Sets of the entire 157 charts 
in color slides, for example, can be had 
for S19.00 on order from Photography 
Division, Office of Information, U.S. De- 
partment of Agriculture, Washington, 
D.C. 20250. Individual color slides are 30 
cents each. 

In a recent ceremony in Washington, 
D.C, USDA formally granted exclusive 
recognition to the National Joint Council 
of Food Inspection Lodges TO REPRE- 
SENT FEDERAL INSPECTORS of meat 
and poultry products. The Joint Council, 
affiliated with the American Federation 
•of Government Employees, has 68 locals. 
Membership is comprised of nonsuper- 
visory food inspectors employed by Con- 
sumer and Marketing Service and serving 
in packing and processing plants across 
the country. The Joint Council was formed 
by merger of three previously recognized 
inspector unions: The National Joint 
Council of Meat Inspection Lodges; the 
Northeastern Council of Poultry Inspec- 
tion Lodges; and the Southeastern Coun- 
cil of Poultry Inspection Lodges. Their 
merger followed a consolidation earlier 
this year of the Federal meat inspection 
and poultry inspection programs into one 
food inspection component within C&MS. 





MEET "MISTER ABLE!" That's what his co- 
workers call him. Actually he is Jerry Abel, a 
blind computer technician with the Minneapolis 
Commodity Office of the Agricultural Stabiliza- 
tion and Conservation Service. To overcome the 
problem of communication, Abel uses a braille 
typewriter. His assignments are dictated on a 
dictating machine and he transcribes them to 
braille. He has demonstrated that his loss of 
sight does not handicap him from performing 
his full range of responsibilities in the computer 
programming area. Abel's success story is an 
example of what the Department is doing to 
use the talents of handicapped persons. It 
should serve as an incentive for other agencies 
to explore similar opportunities for other "able," 
though handicapped, applicants. 



Tripp Heads Research 

Verne W. Tripp has been appointed 
head of spectroscopy investig'ations for 
the Southern Utilization Research and 
Development Division, New Orleans, ac- 
cording to a recent announcement by 
Dr. C. H. Fisher, director of the division. 
Spectroscopy investigation is part of the 
Cotton Physical Properties Laboratory. 

Tripp received his B.S. degree in chem- 
istry from Loyola University in New 
Orleans, and his masters, also in chem- 
istry, from the University of Detroit. He 
has been with the Southern division 
since 1942, and has become widely known 
for his research on the chemistry and 
microscopy of cellulose fibers, particu- 
larly cotton. 



FS Opens New Labs 

The Range and Wildlife Habitat Lab- 
oratory at La Grande, Oreg. (above) — 
one of three new Forest Service re- 
search installations dedicated in recent 
months — is an unusual architectural 
concept constructed entirely from native 
softwoods. It was designed by Forest 
Service architect A. P. DiBeneditto. The 
building is framed with Douglas fir, shin- 
gled and sided with western redcedar, 
and paneled inside with ponderosa pine, 
western redcedar, white fir, larch, and 
Engelmann spruce. It houses two large 
research laboratories where scientists 
are studying range ecology and big-game 
habitat. 

Other Labs Dedicated 

Other Forest Service laboratories re- 
cently dedicated are at Athens, Ga., and 
at Oxford, Miss. 

At Athens, a new laboratory on the 
campus of the University of Georgia, 
added some 30,000 square feet of space 
to the existant Forestry Sciences Lab- 
oratory complex. The new building 
houses 15 specialized labs where studies 
are underway on development of short- 
term tree crops, control of forest insects 
and tree diseases, studies of soil-bcrne 
organisms, improvement of timber char- 
acteristics, and research on housing ma- 
terials and marketing of forest products. 

The entire complex is administered by 
the Southeastern Forest Experiment 
Station, headquartered at Asheville, N.C. 

The new Forest Hydrology Laboratory 
at Oxford, Miss., is a research facility 
of the Southern Forest Experiment Sta- 
tion in New Orleans. It is located on a 
15 -acre site adjacent to the University 
of Mississippi campus. It includes a soil 
physics lab, a chemistry and radioisotope 
lab, a soil microbiology lab, and a plant 
physiology lab. 

Projects in rehabilitation of severely 
eroded watersheds and in coastal plain 
hydrology are underway in the new in- 
stallation. 



HATCH ACT PAVES WAY FOR EXPERIMENT STATION RESEARCH 



Have you heard of the Hatch Act? 
Certainly. It's the law that keeps politics 
out of the Civil Service, and vice versa. 
Have you heard of the other Hatch 
Act? It's the one that, in good measure, 
is partially responsible for: Mechanized 
' farming ; our daily vitamins ; those little 
cans of frozen fruit juice; aerosols that 
spray everything from shaving cream 
to household pesticides; wash and wear 
cottons: the discovery of streptomycin; 
the mass production of penicillin; and 
systems for preserving our soil, water, 
and forest resources. 

Under the "other" Hatch Act — the Act 
of 1887 — Congress established and ap- 
propriated money for an agricultural 
experiment station in each State as a 
department of the land-grant college or 
university. The stations' purposes: To 
I- conduct scientific stl/dies on problems 
of agriculture, rural living, resource de- 
velopment, and of consumer problems 
related to agricultural products. 

In addition to carrying out this re- 
search. State Agricultural Experiment 
Station (SAES) professionals help in- 
struct students who are preparing for 
a career in agricultural sciences in land- 
grant colleges. Through arrangements 
between the stations and the schools, 
students schedule classwork to gain 
practical research experience. 

Since 1887, the Secretary of Agricul- 
ture has been responsible for the proper 
administration of this Act. The Office 
of Expeiiment Stations was established 
in the Department in 1888 to represent 
the Secretary in administering the Act. 
The agency is now the Cooperative State 
Research Service 'CSRS). 

In 1968 about 23 percent of the funds 
supporting research at the SAES was 
derived from CSRS -administered grants. 




Most of the SAES funds come from ap- 
propriations of the State legislatures and 
university sources. 

Over the years, USDA research agen- 
cies and the SAES have formed close 
working relations. In 1966 a National 
Program of Research for Agriculture 
was developed jointly. Under this pro- 
gram teams of USDA and SAES scien- 
tists are developing recommendations 
for research priorities. 

The USDA research agencies have field 
installations located at many of the 
land-grant colleges. Some USDA scien- 
tists work under joint arrangements with 
the SAES and share State facilities with 
SAES scientists. 

An outstanding example of this close 
relationship led to a 1968 Nobel prize 
for an Agricultural Research Service/ 
Cornell University scientist. Dr. Robert 
W. Holley, a professor of biochemistry 
at Cornell and long-time biochemist on 
experiment station staffs at Geneva and 
Ithaca, N.Y., led the research group at 
USDAs Plant, Soil and Nutrition Lab- 
oratory that worked out the structure 
of a nucleic acid. 

Dr. B. Jean Apgar, an ARS chemist 
on the team, describes her experience 
in the 1968 Yearbook of Agriculture: 

"Being the first person to do some- 
thing has a certain fascination, but it 
isn't an experience most of us expect 
to have. . . . Our group determined the 
structure of a nucleic acid for the first 
time. That may not sound as exciting 
as climbing a mountain, but to those of 
us doing the work it was just as ex- 
citing — and just as much work!" 

It is equally exciting to anticipate 
what new scientific surprises may be in 
store by the year 2000 — thanks, in part, 
to the Hatch Act. 



PROF. ROBERT D. SWEET, 
left, of the New York State 
College of Agriculture, Cor- 
nell University, Ithaca, N.Y., 
and Dr. E. A. Walker, Di- 
vision of Herbicide Regis- 
tration, Agricultural Re- 
search Service, Washington. 
D.C., discuss a crop of 
muskmelons on an experi- 
ment station plot at Cor- 
nell. The two men exem- 
plify the close working re- 
lationship between State 
and Federal researchers at 
State Agricultural Experi- 
ment Stations across the 
country. From such coop- 
eration has come a multi- 
tude of agricultural de- 
velopments and products 
benefiting us in our daily 
lives. 



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DONATO GONZALES 

ASCS MAN IS HERO 

An employee of the Agricultural Sta- 
bilization and Conservation Service is 
credited with saving the life of a farmer 
overcome by insecticide fumes. 

Donato Gonzales, a compliance clerk 
with the Adams ASCS County office, 
Brighton, Colo., stopped at the farm 
operated by Ronald Warner in eastern 
Adams County to inspect farm-stored 
wheat under Federal loan. He found no 
one home but noticed a pickup truck and 
ladder at a grain storage bin. Gonzales 
said he climbed the ladder, expecting 
"someone to pop up and say 'hi' " before 
he was halfway up. He reached the top 
of the 18-foot-high bin, looked down 
into the interior, and saw Warner 
sprawled on his back, wearing a gas 
mask but apparently overcome by the 
fumigant he had been using to kill in- 
sects in the wheat. 

Although he had no gas mask, Gon- 
zales jumped into the bin, ripped off 
■Warner's mask, and tried to lift the 
unconscious man to the opening in the 
bin roof. This proved impossible so he 
removed a lower hatch and was able 
to drag and lift Warner to this opening 
for fresh air. 

Gonzales improvised artificial resusci- 
tation until Warner began to breathe. 
He said it was perhaps 20 to 30 minutes 
after he arrived before Warner was 
breathing freely. 

The ASCS man then ran to the War- 
ner house to get help. The door was 
open, but no one was home and the 
telephone was out of order. He ran to 
another house on the farm, broke a glass 
to get in — no one was there either — and 
telephoned the fire department in Ben- 
nett, a community about 14 miles away. 

Gonzales directed rescue operations as 
the firemen lowered Warner from the 
top of the bin with ropes and tackle, 
administered oxygen, and took him to 
the hospital for treatment. 



The United Nations" Demoerapliic 
Ve;.rlK.ok for 1968 reports 3.12 Bll.I.lON 
PKOPLK were on earth at n>id-1967. .Vt 
the present s;n'^tl> rate, this number will 
double bv vear 2006. 



USDA TRAVEL CLUB 
RELEASES 1969 TOUR LIST 

The USDA Travel Club is currently 
planning its schedule of tours for 1969. 
Many of the tours will originate in 
Washington, D.C., while some of the 
longer trips will originate in (or may 
be joined in) other sections of the coun- 
try. All USDA employees and others elig- 
ible for travel club membership are in- 
vited to contact the club for fm'ther 
information on tours and membership. 
Address your inquiry to: Mrs. Betty 
Brooks, WA Office, Rm. 1066 South Bldg., 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wash- 
ington, B.C. 20250. 

TOURS PLANNED FOR 1969 . . . 

FEBRUARY 

Mummer's Bands-Show of Shows — 
Phihidclphia, Pa. 
M.4RCH 

Cruise to St. Thomas-Martinique 
APRIL 

Aegean ,Sca Cruise 

Azalea Trails, North Carolina and South 
Carolina 

Day in the .Aniish Country 

Virginia House and Gardens 

New York City 

Sunday Dinner 

Le.xington-Abingdon Theatre, Va. 
MAY 

Hawaii 

Niagara Falls 

.4 Day in Baltimore 

St. Michaels, Md. 

Annapolis 

A Day in Old Newcastle, Del. 

W interthur-Longwood Gardens, Del. 

.Arboretuni-.Sherwood Gardens, IVId. 

Peaks of Oiler, Va. 
JUNE 

Orient 

Scandinavia 

Mexico 

Miami Beach 

Hershey, Pa. 

Seaside Special — New Jersey 

Tangier Island 

Fishing Trip 

Sunday Dinner 

Dressmaker's Delight — York, Pa. 
JULY 

.African Safari 

British Isles 

Cape Cod 

Shady Grove, Md. 

Chincoteague, Va. — Pony Roundup 

Mechanics Theatre, Baltimore, Md. 

Greenbrier, W. Va. 

Roanoke, Va. — Natural Bridge 
AUGUST 

Wayside Theatre, Va. 

Nova Scotia 

Oriena Cruise — Panama Canal and 
West Coast 

Industrial Tour — Delaware and Mary- 
land 
SEPTEMBER 

Spain-Portugal-Majorca 

Southwest Parks — Southwest 

N'ew England 




FHA Loans for Fun and Profit 

More than 700,000 rural people are 
benefiting from 629 large-scale rural 
community recreation facilities financed 
by the Farmers Home Administration. 

Since the recreation loan program 
started 5 years ago, FHA has advanced 
$83.3 million in loans to nonprofit rural 
groups to develop facilities such as swim- 
ming pools, picnic parks, athletic fields, 
small golf courses, and lakes. During 
fiscal 1968, 226 rural communities re- 
ceived nearly $24 million to develop 
recreation centers. 

To be eligible for loan funds the com- 
munity-sponsored group must be in a 
rural community of less than 5,500 
population and must be unable to obtain 
credit elsewhere. 

An additional $5.5 million has been 
advanced by FHA to 780 individual farm 
operators for profitable recreation enter- 
prises on their farms. This building is 
expected to accelerate since legislation 
passed by Congress last summer now en- 
ables farmers to convert whole farms to 
recreation enterprises. 

Gettysbiirg-.AUenberry, Pa. 

.Annapolis Dress Parade 

.Artisan's Fair, Md. 

Miss America Pageant — New Jersey 

Bucks County, Pa. 
OCTOBER 

.Smokies — .Atlanta, Ga. 

Potomac Houses 

-Sunday Dinner 

Harper's Ferry, W. Va. 

Berkeley Springs, W . Va. 

Shady Grove, Md. 
NOVEMBER 

Southwest Pacific 

South America 

New York City Theatre 

W illiamsburg, Va. 
DECEMBER 

New York City 

Shadv Grove, Md. 



IT'S ELEMENTARY, MY 
DEAR FELLOW. — Bob Keif- 
er, right, director in the 
USDA Motion Picture Serv- 
ice, Washington, D.C., 
coaches one "Sherlock 
Holmes" and crony, "Dr. 
Watson," on the techniques 
used for investigating egg 
defects. The behind-the- 
scene photo is from the 
production set of a 1-min- 
ute television spot explain- 
ing egg grading. The spot, 
which is in color, is sched- 
uled for release this month 
by the Consumer and Mar- 
keting Service. 




DR. M. L. UPCHURCH, left. Administrator, Eca 
nomic Research Service, presents a "diploma' 
to Richard D. Parker, Watershed Planning Di 
vision, Soil Conservation Service, a recent grad 
uate of a special training seminar in economic 
development of rural areas. More than 30 Fed 
eral and State employees have taken the semi 
nar, designed to help them help rural commu 
nities. Students in the course get "basic train 
ing" in development strategy, analyzing the 
economic potential of an area, ways to work 
effectively with local groups and governments, 
and the types of community facilities needed 
to boost local development. As a final exami- 
nation, teams of students set up development 
plans for an actual rural area which has had 
less growth than the Nation. Graduates go back 
better equipped to help the' local areas they 
work with develop more jobs and more income 
for more people. 



WHERE'S THE DRIVER? 

A motor vehicle survey has revealed 
that in 1940 each car on the road con- 
tained an average of 3.2 persons. 

In 1950, occupancy had declined to an 
average of 2.1 persons per car. 

By 1960, the average was down to 1.4 
persons per car. 

If we project those statistics to 1980, 
every third car going by will have nobody 
in it! 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



JANUARY 2, 1969 

4 



Vol, XXVIII No. 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058. 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43— 328-029 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTINS OFFICE 






I 





I^IPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL, XXVIIi NO. 2 
JAN. 16, 1969 




BRAZILIAN MARKET NEWS 
reporters pause for photo 
at the University of Mis- 
souri, Columbia, during 
their 8-week tour of Ameri- 
can farms and markets, 
and USDA market news 
operations. Roberta Clark, 
second from right, a pro- 
gram specialist for the 
Foreign Training Division 
of USDA's International 
Agricultural Development 
Service, was technical 
leader for the team. State 
Department interpreter 

Miss Therezinah Piancas- 
telli (center) also accom- 
panied the group. 



Brazilians Find American Agriculture and Music Swing 



By Roberta Clark 



Give the Brazilian observer of Ameri- 
can agriculture a strong dose of agricul- 
tural techniques, throw in some jazz 
rhythm on the side, and you have a 
recipe for a happy visit to the United 
States. 

At least this is my personal recom- 
mendation after an 8-week stint last fall 
as technical leader for a team of six 
Brazilian agricultural market news re- 
porters. 

Official sponsorship for the group 
came from the State Department's 
Agency for International Development. 
USDA's International Agricultural De- 
velopment Service programmed the 
team's studies which took place in 
Washington, D.C., the Midwest, and the 
South. 

The Brazilians were here as part of 
a special U.S. effort to assist Brazil in 
developing a modern market news serv- 
ice for agriculture. Under an AID con- 
tract, the Consumer and Marketing 
Service is lending expertise in Brazil and 
has cooperated with four separate teams 
of Brazilian market reporters learning 
the ropes in this country where our mar- 
ket news work is more than 50 years 
old. 

The reporters I accompanied were 
earnest about getting new ideas and 
skills to employ in their own work at 
home. Their serious intent was evident 
in their promptness and interest at every 
appointment we had at USDA field of- 
fices and marketing locations. But what 



caught their fancy during after-hours 
was American music — especially jazz. 

The Brazilians also naturally respond- 
ed to warm, friendly people. And they 
found many among USDA workers in 
the several States we visited. A high- 
light of the visit for them, as well as for 
me, was to learn what USDA people are 
doing and how they deal with farmers, 
auctioneers, buyers, salesmen, and the 
public in general. 

On our itinerary were Michigan ap- 
ple orchards burgeoning with red Jona- 
thans. And scores of market men buzz- 
ing about the unique farmers' market 
in Benton Harbor. 

There were squealing hogs and surly 
cattle at livestock auctions in Missouri 
and Illinois. Here, too, we saw Ameri- 
cans at work, some in cowboy boots and 
western hats. 

Caramel-colored soybeans were every- 
where — piled in farm trucks, grain bins, 
and on barges floating down the Missis- 
sippi River. There were even little pack- 
ages of them on tables at Chicago's 
Board of Trade. 'We talked to soybean 
processors, market reporters, elevator 
men, and seamen on New Orleans docks. 

There was rice chitter-chattering 
through a processing mill in Louisiana 
where we saw market reporters at work. 

In many offices, USDA men operate 
shoulder-to-shoulder with State agri- 
cultural officials. Their relationships 
with each other were not easy to ex- 
plain to the visitors, so we showed our 



Scientist Knows Beans 

The alertness and expertise of Dr. 
Charles R. Gunn triggered an urgent 
nationwide recall of jewelry pins deco- 
rated with deadly tropical seeds. 

Dr. Gumi, a taxonomist with the Agri- 
cultural Research Service, Beltsville, 
Md., spotted the jewelry while Christmas 
shopping in a department store in the 
Washington, D.C., area. Since it is his 
scholarly habit to identify all seeds he 
sees, Gunn examined the several var- 
ieties used in the jewelry decorations. 
He tentatively identified the lethal je- 
quirity bean among them. 

"I was certain I had made the right 
identification," Gunn said, "but to make 
sure, I went to the office that same night 
and double-checked our seed collection." 

He was correct. 

Gunn then notified the store of his 
observations. Shortly, store officials is- 
sued recall orders on the jewelry, offered 
for sale by 138 retail stores in 117 cities. 
Through ads and stories in newspapers 
and on television and radio, the company 
urged customers who bought the pins to 
return them. 

The jequirity bean, known in this 
country as the rosary pea and in botani- 
cal circles as abrus-precatorius, is so tox- 
ic that jungle tribes use it to make poison 
for tips of hunting spears and arrows. 
It is oval-shaped, half the size of a pea. 
and is either orange or scarlet with a 
black tip. 

"Swallowing even one bean which has 
been chewed or broken may cause death 
because of the extreme toxicity," Gunn 
said. 

Gunn, a native of Columbus, Ohio. 
has been with ARS since 1965. 

guests what was obvious: Market re- 
porting is one big cooperative effort. 

On returning to Washington, the Bra- 
zilians wrote a many-page report on all 
their observations. They reported on our 
economy, our communications, our Fed- 
eral-State relationships, our technologi- 
cal advances, and our tumultuous growth 
it! large-scale marketing. 

They will remember these things with 
their heads, but I suspect their hearts 
belong to a Preservation Hall jazz combo 
from New Orleans. 




N. F. FINE 



AWARDED FOR FINE' JOB 

'Nathaniel F. 
Fine, a member 
of the USDA 
Vietnam Agricul- 
tural Advisory 
Corps, was hon- 
ored at a recent 
Department of 
State ceremony 
in Washington. 

Fine received 
the Heroism 
Award for his ex- 
ploits on Febru- 
ary 18. 1968, as a member of a volunteer 
parly to rescue a Free World Medical 
Team (Chinese) from a section of Phan 
Tluet city under enemy attack. 

The award citation, which will be pre- 
sented to Fine in Vietnam, describes in 
part his actions: "Although wounded 
by a grenade he continued to cover the 
medical team, moving to a more exposed 
position to assist and protect a severely 
wounded member of the rescue party 
for four hours while under fire and com- 
pletely surrounded by the enemy. His 
courageous acts were instrumental in 
the success of the rescue." 

The rescue team, which included Ger- 
ald J. Marcotte and James R. Smith of 
the Agency for International Develop- 
ment mission in Vietnam, previously re- 
ceived individual honors from the Chi- 
nese Military Command-Vietnam in 
recognition of its efforts. 

Fine is one of 33 members of the Fed- 
eral Extension Service under contract 
with AID who are helping Vietnamese 
farmers increase crop production and 
incomes. He arrived at his duty post in 
Binh Thuan Province on July 8, 1967, 
and is presently assigned to Binh Dinh 
Province. 

Before volunteering for Vietnam agri- 
cultural service. Fine was a Cooperative 
Extension county agent in Colorado 
Springs, Colo. He will return to the 
United States early this year to assume 
the duties of county agent in Los Ani- 
mas County, Colo. He is married and 
the father of two daughters. 



WEEKLY COST OF FOOD 

$45 ■ 



.35. 



>^ S28.90 




S35.60 



-25—^ 




S21.30 




S40.30 



GROWING UP WITH THE FOOD BILL: The biggest factor 
in \our changing family food bill is the changing size of 
your family. This chart shows the cost of a week's gro- 
ceries for the average U.S. family in the Fall of 1968 
(based on the U.S. Department of .Agriculture's moderate- 
cost food plan). The changes shown reflect only quantity, 
not qualit\' of food. 

FAMILY CHANGE 



T 

10 



Mi 



$29.60 



f|F"° ° 



YEARS 



20 

J- 



New FHA Personnel Chief Named 

Henry J. Wiemann recently assumed 
duties as director of the Personnel Divi- 
sion, Farmers Home Administration. He 
fills a vacancy created by the retirement 
in 1968 of James Somerville. now de- 
ceased. 

A native of Lexington, Ky., Wiemann 
graduated from the University of Ken- 
tucky in 1932. He joined the Resettle- 
ment Administration, a predecessor 
agency of FHA, at Raleigh, N.C., in 1935. 

He moved rapidly through the ranks 
and in 1941 he became chief of liaison 
services between the management divi- 
sions of the Regional Office and the five 
State directors. He was promoted to the 
Washington office in 1944 and trans- 
ferred to the FHA Personnel Division in 
1945. 

Since October 1950, Wiemann has 
served as chief of the personnel divi- 
sion's employment branch. 




ABOUT 130 Louisiana 
ASCS State and county 
employees recently com- 
pleted the National Safety 
Council's defensive training 
course. With instructor, 
State Police Lt. Jack Carter, 
are employees who do the 
most on-duty driving. They 
are, left to right, W. A. Rush, 

C. E. Slack, W. A. Winn, E. 

D. Dixon, C. L. Tubbs, V. C. 
Marsh, and L. E. Landre- 
neau. All are ASCS farmer 
fieldmen except Slack who 
is State executive director. 



Inspectors Cited for Rescues 

Two USDA meat inspectors, one 
in Chicago and one in Portland, 
Oreg., were recently commended 
for life-saving actions. 

William J. Chose of Chicago, a 
meat inspector for 26 years with 
the Consumer and Marketing 
Service, received a cash award and 
certificate for his heroic efforts 
during a fire and explosion in a 
Chicago food processing plant in 
February 1968. 

Shortly after the fire erupted. 
Chose found Mrs. John Gannon, a 
plant employee, trying to leave the 
burning building down an inside 
stairway. He led Mrs. Gannon to a 
fire ladder on the roof, steadied the 
ladder, and talked to the fright- 
ened woman as she descended to 
safety. 

As Chose started down the lad- 
der, an explosion blew him into the 
street. He suffered severe and 
multiple injuries which prevented 
his return to work until December. 

Another certificate of merit went 
to Robert Moentenich, C&MS meat 
inspector based in Portland. He 
was commended for his quick 
thinking and effective action in 
rescuing a woman employee of a 
Portland meat packing plant when 
her clothing became entangled in 
the revolving gears of a bacon slic- 
ing machine. 



Lady Engineer 
Hooks Up' With REA 

"Oh, some people appeared to be a 
little shocked when I walked in that first 
day, but now I am just another electri- 
cal engineer trainee." The speaker and 
cause of surprise is petite Mrs. Shirley 
Ann DeMaris. 

She is the first woman to enter the 
Rural Electrification Administration's 
6-month training program for new engi- 
neering "recruits." 

However, there is nothing unusual 
about it as far as Mrs. DeMaris is con- 
cerned. 

"I never knew of a reason I couldn't 
be an electrical engineer. People who 
are qualified can do most anything they 
want to," she observed. 

Interests in science and math, de- 
veloped during high school in her home- 
town of Longview, "Wash., led Mrs. De- 
Maris to study electrical engineering in 
college. She graduated from Oregon 
State University in June 1968 — one of 
two girls among the 66 electrical engi- 
neers in the 2,000-student graduating 
class. 




She was interviewed by a municipal 
company, three power companies, and 
the Bureau of Reclamation. She also 
talked to an REA field engineer who was 
recruiting at Oregon State. It wasn't 
long before a job application was on its 
way to the REA Personnel Division. 

■Why did Mrs. DeMaris select REA? 

"Because of the opportunity to be 
trained in all phases of the engineering 
field," she says, "and I really hadn't been 
out of the State of Oregon; so it offered 
an opportunity to see the center of our 
Federal Government." 

Her training in REA's Power Supply 




MR. COST REDUCTION, USDA 
-u: ik For January 1969 ^ ^ 

MANY A TYPIST has gnashed teeth trying to 
get entries aligned precisely enough for optical 
scanners — the 'eyes' that read those special 
letters and numbers on computer input forms 
such as those on your paychecks or utility bills. 
Clerks m some 2,800 county Agricultural Sta- 
bilization and Conservation Service offices will 
soon have reason to be grateful to Michael J. 
"Jack" Hanley, county specialist in the Wash- 
ington State ASCS office, Spokane. He invented 
a plastic attachment for typewriters used in 
preparing these special forms. Carefully calcu- 
lated lines on the device make quick and easy 
work of the exact alignment. The Hanley 
aligner is being installed on typewriters through- 
out ASCS offices. Clerks can save about 30 
seconds handling time per form. With more than 
7 million forms typed annually, this saves ASCS 
about $160,000. For his invention, Hanley re- 
ceived a $1,215 cash award under the Incentive 
Awards Program, a letter of commendation from 
Secretary Freeman, and a plaque. Other Govern- 
ment agencies — as well as business firms — 
may also benefit from Hanley's invention since 
the use of optical scanners is becoming more 
widespread. If a similar attachment can benefit 
your work, contact your employee suggestions 
coordinator. Be a USDA Cost Reducer of the 
Month! Tell us about that money-saving idea — 
small or big — with the widespread potential. 



"PET* PROJECT CANCELLED— The 

passenger arrivinj; at Dulles International 
.Airport, Washington, D.C., didn't hesitate 
to show U.SD.A quarantine inspectors the 
jar of 14 live snails she had brought from 
Spain. She planned to raise them as pets, 
she explained. The inspectors, finding 
several plant-attacking snails, had no 
alternative but to seize and destroy the 
"pets." 

Division, started in September 1968, will 
include transmission, planning and pro- 
curement, loans, and management. 

Has she ever climbed a pole? 

"You bet I have," she said, "but it 
wasn't in the line of duty." 

It was, however, in pursuit of her 
hobby — hunting. When a herd of ante- 
lope disappeared over a hill in Oregon, 
Mrs. DeMaris scaled a nearby pole to 
check their whereabouts.- 

The lady engineer's husband, Roger, 
is also an electrical engineer. The two 
met during their last year of college. 



Graduate School 
Adds New Courses 

For its 1969 spring semester evening 
program, the Graduate School has added 
several new courses. These include: 

Retirement Plans: Design and Ad- 
ministration (6-474) 

Current Issues in Personnel Adminis- 
tration (6-439) 

Legal Aspects of Sale, Rental, and 
Purchase of Property (.6-426) 

Urbanization and Mental Health 
(7-749) 

Nature in Philosophy and Religion 
(7-319) 

Latin Ajnerican Developm,ents and 
Potentials (7-557) 

Introduction to Chinese and Japanese 
Art (8-344) 

Problems iii Urban Contemporary De- 
velopment (8-354) 

Biochemistry and Physiology of Fruits 
(1-580) 

American Negro Literature (2-217) 

Communication With New Twist 
(2-79) 

Documentary Film (2-276) 

Mathematical Modeling in Physical 
and Social Sciences and Operations Re- 
search (3-418) 

Network Systems for Project Manage- 
ment (6-513) 

Registration dates for the 1969 spring 
semester evening program are January 
18 through January 25 with no registra- 
tion on Inauguration Day, January 20. 
Hours are 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Mon- 
day through Friday; 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 
p.m., on Saturdays. Registration is at the 
Patio, first floor of the Administration 
Building at 14th and Independence, 
S.'W., Washington, D.C. Classes will be- 
gin the week of January 27. 

Persons interested in Graduate School 
correspondence courses can obtain cata- 
logs and information by writing to : Cor- 
respondence Program, Graduate School, 
USDA. Washington, D.C. 20250. 

A total of 17,957 students registered 
during 1967-68 in the evening, corre- 
spondence, and special (day) programs 
of the USDA Graduate School. Of this 
total 2,591 were USDA employees. 



New USDA Publication 

A fact-filled yearbook on American 
agriculture, "Agricultural Statistics, 
1968," is a recent USDA release. 

The 600-page publication provides de- 
tailed information on agricultural pro- 
duction, prices, supplies, costs, and in- 
come. Tables are included on land use. 
farm ownership, farm workers, price 
support operations, and nutritive value 
and consumption of food. 

The yearbook is available for $2.75 
from the U.S. Government Printing Of- 
fice, Washington, D.C. 20402. 



3 



FORESTS, FOOD, AND FORM ARE FILMSTRIP FEATURES 



Agricultural economics, gardening, 
beautification, civil defense, conserva- 
tion, the consumer, farming, food, fores- 
try, 4-H, home economics, housing — 
these are among the many subjects cov- 
ered by slide sets and filmstrips prepared 
by the USDA Office of Information. They 
are helpful information tools in present- 
ing and explaining some of the Depart- 
ment's programs before such audiences 
as civic and farm groups, students — and 
USDA employees. 




A new slide set/filmstrip catalog, re- 
leased this month by the Office of In- 
formation, lists the variety of visual 
materials novi^ available. A copy of the 
catalog (MP 1107) will be sent to most 
USDA offices. If your office does not re- 
ceive one by February 1, you may get a 
copy by writing to: Photogi-aphy Divi- 
sion, Office of Information, USDA, 
Washington, D.C. 20250. 

Here's a preview of three new presen- 
tations . . . 



FOOD VALUE STRETCHERS 
(C-152, released 1968. 
Slide set or filmstrip, 
$5.50). Designed to show 
families how to use some 
of the USDA-donated 
foods — especially evapo- 
rated milk — in preparing 
good meals. Five recipes 
using evaporated milk and 
other donated foods ac- 
company this show. 



DESIGN IS EVERYWHERE 
(A-41, released 1968. 69 
frames. Slide set, $8.00). 
Introduces the elements of 
design to help people be- 
come aware of and see 
design in their everyday 
surroundings. Prepared by 
the Federal Extension Serv- 
ice for use by local leaders, 
home economists, exten- 
sion groups, and 4-H 
clubs. Photo: Habitat. Expo 
67, Montreal. 





FORESTS FOR ALL (C-140, 
released 1968. 60 frames, 
slide set, or filmstrip, 
$6.50). Adapted from a 
presentation by the Chief 
of the Forest Service, Ed- 
ward P. Cliff, at the 58th 
Western Forest Conference, 
Seattle, Wash. The set ex- 
plains that with wise man- 
agement of our forest re- 
sources, we can both use 
them and conserve them 
for the future as well. 




FOR 16 YEARS the Forest Service has managed 
the forestry program at the Atomic Energy 
Commission's Savannah River Plant near Aiken, 
S.C. Recently, the 100 millionth pine seedling 
was planted at the AEC installation. In cere- 
monies marking the occasion. Regional Forester 
T. A. Schlapfer of Atlanta (right) presented the 
seedling for planting to Savannah River's Nat 
Stetson. 



AWARDS 

High honors were recently awarded to 
four Agriciihiiral Research Service men 
for outstanding contributions and achieve- 
ments in their fields. These inchide: 

DR. CH.ARLES O. WILLITS, scientist 
at the Eastern utilization research hibora- 
torj , Wyndmoor, Pa., who was awarded a 
Distinguished Service Award by the Na- 
tional Maple Sirup Council. He also re- 
ceived special honors from the Pennsyl- 
vania State Maple Producers Association 
Council and the Vermont Maple Industry 
Council. 

DR. PALL F. SMITH, Crops Research 
Division, Orlando, Fla., who was named 
a Fellow in the American Society for Hor- 
ticultural .Science. 

GEORGE FOSTER, Transportation and 
Facilities Division, Lafayette, Ind., who 
was named a Fellow in the American So- 
<-iety of Agricultural Engineers. 

DR. DONALD L. BRAKENSIECK, Soil 
and Water Conservation Research Divi- 
sion, Beltsville, Md., who was given special 
honor for the second straight year by the 
American Society of Agricultural Engi- 
neers for his authorship of an outstand- 
ing technical paper. 

* ■^.' '<■- :i; '^ 

ROBERT B. TOOTELL, Governor of 
the Farm Credit Administration, was re- 
cently honored by the Nation's farm 
magazine editors. He was named to re- 
ceive the 22d annual Distinguished Serv- 
ice Award of the American Agricultural 
Editors Association. The award, given for 
leading and significant contributions to 
American agriculture, recognized Too- 
telTs 15-year leadership of FCA during 
which time the Government-supervised 
cooperative Farm Credit System has been 
"instrumental in broadening the supply 
of available agricultural credit." 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



JANUARY 16, 1969 



Vol, XXVIII No. 2 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible: for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent. Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington. D.C. 20250. 



c43 — 329-053 U.S. government printing office 






a^ 



3 



RECEIV^O 

FEB141969 

EL^LLE BRANQH 




EMPLOYF=^ ^'^WSLETTER 




VOL XXVIII NO. 3 
JAN. 30, 1969 




SECRETARY HARDIN GREETS EMPLOYEES 



UNDER 
SECRETARY 
CAMPBELL 



THE NEW UNDER 
SECRETARY of the 
Department of Agri- 
culture, J . Phil 
Campbell, Jr., Is a 
native of Athens, 
Ga., and the son of a pioneer agricultural family. 
A graduate of the College of Agriculture, Uni- 
versity of Georgia, Mr. Campbell completed his 
studies while operating his family's dairy and 
cotton farm near Athens. He continued to op- 
erate the farm until 1941 when he volunteered 
for service with the Army Air Corps. In 1948, 
he was elected to the Georgia General Assembly. 
He served in the legislature for 5 years, 4 as 
Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. 
In 1954, he was elected Georgia Commissioner 
of Agriculture, a position he held for four terms, 
until his appointment as Under Secretary of 
Agriculture. Mr. Campbell served as a member 
of two committees to advise the Secretary of 
Agriculture — the National Wholesome Meat In- 
spection Advisory Committee and the National 
Hog Cholera Eradication Advisory Committee. 
In addition, he was co-chairman of a special 
eight-man State-Federal task force made up of 
Food and Drug Administration officials and 
State Commissioners of Agriculture. He is a 
former secretary-treasurer of the National As- 
sociation of State Departments of Agriculture 
and a past member of that organization's 
Executive Committee. 



ASSISTANT 

SECRETARY 

PALMBY 



^ CLARENCED. 

^^1 --^ PALMBY, new As- 

^^^^^ sistant Secretary for 

^^^^■l^ International Affairs 

^^^k ^^y^^ and Commodity 

^m^ ^il^ Credit Corporation, 

has spent his entire 
adult life in agricultural service — in production, 
agriculture leadership activities, and program 
administration. Since 1940, when he graduated 
with distinction from the University of Min- 
nesota, Mr. Palmby has operated a general farm 
near Garden City, Minn. He has held offices in 
county and State farm organizations and has 
served as Chairman of the Minnesota Agricul- 
tural Stabilization and Conservation State Com- 
mittee. He served as an administrator with 
USDA's Commodity Stabilization Service in 
Washington from 1956 until 1961 when he be- 
came Executive Vice President of the U.S. Feed 
Grains Council. The new Assistant Secretary is a 
recognized authority on the grain, feed, and 
livestock industries in Europe, Japan, and the 
Far East. He has traveled extensively and fre- 
quently in those areas. Mr. Palmby was born 
in Todd County, Minn., Feb. 22, 1916. 




Memorandum To All Employees 

It is my very real pleasure to greet 

you . . . the men and women who will 
be sharing with me my new responsi- 
bilities as SecretaiT of Agriculture. 

Our goal is a mutual one: We will 
strive to improve the position of the 
agricultural producer and his busi- 
ness neighbors in rural America and 
to wipe out hunger and improve the 
nutritional standards of our nation. 
In pursuit of this we will carry out 
as effectively as we can all the many 
responsibilities given to the Depart- 
ment by the Congress in service to the 
American people. 

If our goal is to be achieved it will 
require the dedicated talents of each 
of us as individuals and the collective 
efforts of all of us as a group. It will 
require that we think and plan 
thoughtfully and that we act wisely. 

We will want also to listen . . . for 
it will be our purpose to seek the best 
judgment and recommendations from 
those outside of the Federal estab- 
lishment; from agricultural and busi- 
ness leaders and from our colleges 
and universities. 

President Nixon, in his Inaugm-al 
Address, summarized very well what 
should be our attitude toward the 
future: 

"As we reach toward our hopes, our 
task is to huild on what has gone 
before — not turnmg away from the 
old, hut turning toward the new." 

I know many of you already. I am 
looking forward to getting to know 
as many of the rest of you as I pos- 
sibly can in the months ahead. 



^^ 



At 



^Ai.<-<f^*^ 



SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 




DR. CLIFFORD M. HARDIN 
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 

Dr. Clifford Morris Hardin is the Na- 
tion's 17th Secretary of Agriculture. 

Before he was chosen by President 
Nixon to serve in the Cabinet post, the 
new Secretary was Chancellor of the 
University of Nebraska, a post he held 
since July 1, 1954. 

He went to Nebraska from Michigan 
State University where he was Dean of 
the School of Agriculture and where he 
had served 4 years as director of the 
experiment station and its extensive re- 
search program. He joined the faculty 
at Michigan State in 1944 as professor 
and chairman of agricultural economics. 
From 1941 to 1944 he was a member of 
the faculty in agricultural economics at 
the University of Wisconsin. 

Under Dr. Hardin's leadership, the 
University of Nebraska experienced its 
greatest period of growth. Eni'oUment, 
about 30,000 in the fall of 1968. is about 
four times what it was in 1954. Sub- 
stantial additions were made to the phys- 
ical plant and several programs were 
inaugurated, including continuing edu- 
cation, cooperative aid to higher educa- 
tion in Turkey which resulted in 
establishment of the new Ataturk Uni- 
versity, technical assistance for agricul- 
(Continued on page 2) 



(Continued froyn page 1) 
ture in Colombia, and a Latin American 
and International Studies program. 

In 1960, Secretary Hardin served as 
president of the Association of State 
Universities and Land Grant Colleges, 
and in 1961 was chairman of the Asso- 
ciation's Executive Committee. 

He is a member of the board of the 
National Science Foundation, a member 
and trustee of the Rockefeller Founda- 
tion, and a member of the executive 
committee of the Council on Higher Edu- 
cation in the American Republics. 

In addition, he is a former director 
and chairman of the Federal Reserve 
Bank of Kansas City, Omaha branch, 
and a former director of the American 
Council on Education. 

He also serves on the board of direct- 
ors and is trustee of several Nebraska 
companies. 

Secretary Hardin was born October 
9, 1915, on his parents' farm near 
Knightstown, Ind. While still a youth, 
he assumed a large responsibility for 
operating the farm. He went to Purdue 
University on a 4-H Club scholarship, 
earning his baccalaureate and graduate 
degrees from Purdue in 1937 and 1939 
and his Ph. D. in 1941. 

He is a member of Sigma Xi, national 
honorary science scholastic society, and 
has received honorary degrees from the 
National University of Colombia in South 
America, Purdue University, and Creigh- 
ton University of Omaha. 

Secretary Hardin and his wife, the 
former Martha Love Wood of West La- 
fayette, Ind., are the parents of three 
daughters and two sons. The family in- 
cludes Dr. and Mrs. Larry W. Wood, 
Iowa City, Iowa; Mr. and Mrs. Robert 
S. Milligan, Lincoln, Nebr.; Nancy, a 
senior at Kansas University, Lawrence, 
Kans.; Mr. and Mrs. Clifford W. Hardin, 
Dallas, Tex.; and James, 10. 



School Lunches Receive 
Variety of Foods 

The Nation's schools can be assured of 
at least $288 million in donated foods 
from the Department of Agriculture to 
help expand and improve school food 
service during the 1968-69 school year. 
This is an increase over the $276 million 
worth of these foods provided in the 
1967-68 school year. 

So far this school year, USDA has 
purchased or contracted for more than 
238 million pounds of frozen ground beef, 
butter, cheese, lard or shortening, nonfat 
dry milk, peanut butter, and frozen tur- 
keys for distribution to schools. Still 
more will be bought and allocated during 
the year. Schools may also obtain as 



Chemist Nominated 
For New Award 

Dr. Odette SJiotwell, a research chem- 
ist with the Agricultural Research Serv- 
ice, is USDA's nominee for a recently 
established Civil Service Commission 
award — the Outstanding Handicapped 
Federal Employee of the Year. 

The annual award will recognize indi- 
vidual achievements and will increase 
awareness of the contributions being 
made by the handicapped in Federal 
service. Departments and agencies may 
each nominate one employee a year. Se- 
lection of the outstanding employee will 
be made from among 10 finalists chosen 
by a committee of government and non- 
government officials. All 10 finalists will 
be honored at a ceremony in March in 
Washington, D.C. 

The achievements of USDA's nominee 
spread across several segments of or- 
ganic chemistry and benefit her commu- 
nity as well as the lives of her friends 
and acquaintances. 

Polio contracted in her childhood left 
Dr. Shotwell with a severe, painful pa- 
ralysis which makes walking in an erect 
position impossible. Nevertheless, she at- 
tended college and graduate school, re- 
ceiving a B.S. degree from Montana 
State College and M.S. and Ph. D. de- 
grees from the University of Illinois. 

Dr. Shotwell, a native of Denver, Colo., 
entered Federal service as a research 
chemist at the Northern Utilization Re- 
search and Development Division, Pe- 
oria, 111., in 1948, shortly after earning 
her Ph. D. She has worked there since. 

During her first assignment, which 
lasted 12 years, she was responsible for 
the discovery of two new antibiotics and 
played an important role in the discov- 
ery of two others. 

Dr. Shotwell then headed a team of 
scientists which studied the chemistry 
of Japanese beetle hemolymph — com- 
ponents in insects' body fluid corre- 
sponding to blood in higher animals. The 
work, the fii-st such investigation, was 
part of a broad project to develop, as an 




DR. ODETTE SHOTWELL is USDA's nominee for 
Outstanding Handicapped Federal Employee of 
the Year, a new Civil Service Commission award. 

insecticide, a bacterial disease infecting 
Japanese beetles. 

Since 1966, Dr. Shotwell has continued 
her work on insect hemolymph as well 
as investigating mycotoxins. In the latter 
work she has made important contribu- 
tions to knowledge of aflatoxin, a cancer- 
producing toxin produced by certain 
molds which sometimes grow in stored 
cereals and cereal products. For her 
work in this field, she was appointed to 
the Aflatoxin Subcommittee of the 
American Society of Oil Chemists and 
was asked to be an associate referee to 
evaluate methods of determining myco- 
toxins in cereal grains for the Associa- 
tion of Official Analytical Chemists. 

Throughout the years Dr. Shotwell 
has been active in community affairs. 
She has served with great effect as co- 
chairman of the Peoria NAACP educa- 
tion committee. She is consultant on 
education for an inner city program of 
the Peoria Area Council of Churches; 
a past president of the Peoria Chapter 
of the League of Women Voters; and a 
board member of a new center for the 
arts and sciences. In addition, she is 
past chairman of the Truth Corps, an 
informational branch of the Mayor's 
Commission on Human Relations, and 
treasurer of her church. 



much as they can effectively use of such 
foods as dry beans, bulgur, corn grits, 
cornmeal, flour, rolled oats, rice, and 
rolled wheat. USDA acquires these foods 
through its price support and surplus- 
removal activities. 

USDA has also bought canned fruits 
and vegetables and frozen poultry and 
meat specifically for the National School 
Lunch Program during this school year. 
These special-purchase foods total 228 
million pounds, worth some $45 million. 



Besides giving a boost to school 
lunches for about 20 million youngsters, 
the foods will help to reach almost 
400,000 children needing school break- 
fasts. 

Federal cash and food aid through 
the 22-year-old National School Lunch 
Program, administered by the Consumer 
and Marketing Service, covers about 20 
percent of the program costs. Children's 
payments, together with State and local 
contributions, make up the remainder. 



PENN SOIL PROJECT— 
A MULTI-COUNTY SUCCESS 

If all rural America shares a common 
commodity, it is diversity. Resource 
Conservation and Development Projects, 
such as the three-county Pemi Soil Proj- 
ect in northwestern Pemisylvania, are 
creative operations that allow for diver- 
sity. 

The particular resources, the handi- 
caps, the people, and the potentials of 
an area are the ingredients that spur or 
impede economic growth. And progress — 
in solid terms of developing and restor- 
ing the natural resources and building 
the economy — is being made in the coun- 
ties of Crawford, Venango, and Mercer. 
One of two RC&D projects in operation 
in Pennsylvania, the Penn Soil Project, 
is projecting much of its future growth 
on the probability of soon becoming a 
major recreation area for the population 
centers of Pittsburgh and Erie, Pa., and 
Youngstown, Ohio. 

Water is the primary resource — much 
of it a resource requiring renovation of 
watersheds and streams and pollution 
control. Planned structural improve- 
ments are underway in some of the 
project area's 180 larger water impound- 
ment sites. Flood control dams or even 
larger multi-purpose reservoirs which 
will also serve recreational purposes are 
being constnacted. 

Strip-mined areas are being regraded, 
reforested, or reseeded to grass and le- 
gumes to control runoff. Labor needs for 
this project provide seasonal employ- 
ment for retired or unemployed rural 
people or for Boy Scouts. A conservation- 
education center is in the early stages 
of development on an ideal site adjoin- 
ing the rapidly developing Sandy Creek 
State Park. These are but a few of the 
many far-sighted concepts being turned 
into realities. 

The county commissioners, bankers, 
businessmen, and residents deserve 
credit for the successes gradually being 
achieved in the Penn Soil Project. 

Rollin N. Swank, project coordinator, 
is a young soil conservationist with a 
substantial background of experience 
with the Soil Conservation Service. He 
helps the project sponsors develop their 
program with the assistance of other 
Federal, State, and local manpower and 
technical services and funds as they are 
needed and/or available. 

State planners and officials, too, are 
thinking of extending area planning in 
an age when counties are seeing that 
area planning and development bring 
economic growth far outweighing 
achievements by strictly provincial ef- 
forts. Penn Soil RC&D is a convincing 
argument for more multi-county plan- 
ning and resource development. 





THE MERCER COUNTY Technical Action Panel 
meets regularly and encourages attendance by 
people working on community development pro- 
grams. Above, County Agent Leslie Firth explains 
aspects of cooperative extension work that con- 
tribute to area planning and improvement. At 
left, a private developer, with technical assist- 
ance from the Soil Conservation Service, estab- 
lished this golf course which substantially im- 
proved a rural setting in the Penn Soil RC&D 
area. He intends to build a community over- 
looking much of the open space created by the 
golf course. 






(Above) SANDY CREEK DAM, near completion, 
will back up water to form a lake 9 miles long — 
the beautiful focal point around which a State 
park will be developed. (At right) This site, 
adjacent to the Sandy Creek State Park, has 
been purchased for the development of a con- 
servation-education center. 




Planting Trees Is Woman's Work 

Crews of women have been employed 
to plant thousands of trees and to burn 
acres of logging slash In the rugged 
295,000-acre Wise River Ranger District 
of western Montana's Beaverhead Na- 
tional Forest. For the past 2 years, distaff 
inhabitants of the tiny hamlet of Wise 
River (pop. 70) have literally taken over 
these jobs, traditionally left to the men. 

What is more, according to Forest 
Service officers, work done by the women 
equals or even surpasses the work of 
male crews. 

The part-time, seasonal jobs filled by 
the women are advertised through regu- 
lar chamiels and applications come from 
both men and women. Male applicants, 
however, have been markedly unenthu- 
siastic about accepting such "occasional" 
work, frequently subject to short-notice 
cancellation because of inclement 
weather. The women, most of whom are 
housewives supplementing family in- 
comes, welcome the part-time work. Pay 
is according to Wage Board rates and 
the job-duration is generally for 2 or 3 
weeks in spring and fall. 

When extra crews are needed, Nevin 
T. Guderian. Acting Ranger of the Wise 
River Ranger District, gets on the tele- 
phone and calls women from his list of 
applicants. An average crew numbers 
eight to 10 women; average age is 35. 

Guderian reports that young trees 
planted by crews of women in the spring 
of 1967 and 1968 showed an 80 to 85 
percent survival. 

"The high survival rate of the young 
trees must be attributed to the 'tender, 
loving care' the women gave the seed- 
lings in planting," he suggests. 

"In addition to careful and effective 
planting, these women planted more 
than 500 trees a day — a rate worthy of 
experienced tree planters. Weather con- 
ditions were miserable when these 
women planted the trees, but the philos- 
ophy of the women was 'These trees 
must go in the ground, come rain, snow, 
or shine.' " 

The crew of women used to bum 
logging slash was reported to be agile 
and safety conscious. 

"They followed instructions well and 
accomplished the same production we 
would expect of a crew of men," a Forest 
Service fire control officer reports. 

Women also collected the major share 
of the pine cones this past year on the 
District. These cones provide the tree 
seeds used at the Forest Service tree 
nursery. 




AS IF KEEPING HOUSE isn't hard enough to 
handle, these young housewives are working 
part-time to reseed a burned-out tract of land 
in the Beaverhead National Forest, Montana. 



Food Donations for Needy Persons 
Up 44 Percent 

Domestic food donations by USDA 
came to 404.4 million pounds in the first 
3 months of fiscal 1969 (July-Sept. 1968) . 
This is slightly more than the poundage 
donated the same months of fiscal 1968. 

Food donations for needy families 
during this period amounted to 230.2 
million pounds and cost $44.8 million — 
44 percent and 72 percent above the re- 
spective figures for the same period a 
year earlier. More and better food ac- 
counts for these increases. Donations per 
person per month increased to more 
than 36 pounds and several new foods 
appeared on the donation list. 

Other USDA food donations during 
July-September 1968 included 141.6 
million pounds to schools, and 32.6 mil- 
lion to charitable institutions. The school 
total is in addition to foods purchased 
by Consumer and Marketing Service 
especially for schools in USDA's National 
School Lunch Program. 

In September, 3.5 million needy per- 
sons in family units benefited from the 
increased food allotments. Another 2.6 
million persons took part in USDA's 
Food Stamp Program, receiving more 
than $17 million worth of extra food- 
buying power. At the end of September 
1968, 6.1 million persons were benefiting 
from the two family food-help programs 
compared with about 5 million a year 
earlier. 



Discrimination Violates P&S Act 

Discrimination in the furnishing of 
stockyard services or facilities ". . . be- 
cause of race, religion, color, or national 
origin . . ." is a violation of the Packers 
and Stockyards Act. 

The announcement came in a State- 
ment of General Policy of USDA's in- 
terpretation of the P&S Act. The Act is 
a fair trade practices law which pro- 
motes and maintains fair and open com- 
petition in the marketing of livestock, 
poultry, and meat. 

The Packers and Stockyards Admin- 
istration said the statement extends to 
"establishing rules or regulations at the 
stockyard" which show prejudice against 
persons using the services or facilities. 

Services and facilities involved "in- 
clude, but are not limited to, those 
furnished for observing, selling, weigh- 
ing, or other handling of livestock, the 
restaurant, the restrooms, drinking 
fountains, and lounge accommodations." 

P&SA said instances of discrimination 
may result in issuance of a complaint 
against a stockyard owner or market 
agency for violating the Act. 



PLENTIFUL FOODS 

USDA's February list. Plentifuls are: 
Broiler-fryers, green split peas, pork, 
canned salmon, potatoes, onions, canned 
tomatoes and tomato products, canned 
and frozen sweet corn, fresh oranges, 
fresh grapefruit, canned grapefruit 
juice, avocados, and dried prunes. 




REMOVE TOYS . . 

before using PESTICIDES 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



JANUARY 30, 1969 



Vol. XXVIII No. 3 



USDA Is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible: for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs LilUe Vincent, Editor of USDA, INP, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43 — 330-465 U.S. government pbinting office 



ftG»T^'^ 



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rv tv^ civ; 



FEB141969 

BELTSVILLE BRANO' 




EMPLOYEE NPwqLETTFR 




VOL. XXVIII NO. 4 
FEB. 13, 1969 



Conference Attracts Top Crop of Economic Analysts 



Sponsored by the Economic Research 
Service, the 1969 Outlook Conference 
will be held Feb. 17-19 in the Jefferson 
Auditorium, Washington, D.C., and will 
attract hundreds of economists and 
agribusiness specialists from universi- 
ties. Extension, and private industry. 

Every year, American agriculture be- 
comes more closely bound up with the 
triumphs and tribulations of the rest of 
the world: An inflationary spiral in the 
United States jacks up prices of tractors 
and chemicals; the world monetary 
crisis threatens exports of feed grains to 
Europe; world crop prospects affect 
world wheat prices; international devel- 
opments may increase acreage allot- 
ments for major U.S. crops; the Food 
Stamp Program increases food con- 
sumption in poverty areas around the 
country. 

Hundreds of interacting factors like 
these affect the modern farmer's mar- 
kets — and the agricultural outlook. So 
in recent years, the job of annual Agri- 
cultural Outlook Conferences has grown 
bigger and tougher. 

The Outlook Conferences have had to 



REA CREATES NEW JOBS 

Rural electric and telephone systems 
financed by the Rural Electrification 
Administration helped to create at least 
31,000 new jobs in rm-al America during 
fiscal year 1968. This figure is based on 
a survey of rural areas development ac- 
tivities of 57 percent of the 1,900 REA- 
financed systems. 

The survey showed that 637 REA-as- 
sisted projects started in fiscal 1968 in- 
cluded 78 in agriculture, 44 in forestry, 
131 in recreation, 206 in community 
facilities, and 178 for other purposes 
including commercial and industrial. 

In addition, the survey disclosed that 
directors and employees of many elec- 
tric and telephone organizations are 
serving on local economic development 
committees. 

REA borrowers have assisted more 
than 3,300 commercial, industrial, and 
community facilities projects and have 
helped create a total of 247,000 jobs 
since the RAD program began in mid- 
1961. 



look more and more carefully at non- 
farm developments in arriving at price 
and income prospects. In fact, this year's 
Conference is being held several months 
later than usual primarily to give great- 
er emphasis to general economic trends 
and the policies of the new administra- 
tion. 

■What's ahead for business and gov- 
ernment spending? Will the pressures 
of inflation increase or decrease? Will 
the world monetary crisis continue? Will 
consumer incomes rise? Will consumers 
keep on spending or start saving? What 
are the commercial export prospects, 
and what about the world's food situa- 
tion? 

All of these questions have to be 
weighed before we can arrive at mean- 
ingful appraisals of prospects for U.S. 
agriculture in the year: What will hap- 
pen to farm income? To commodity 
prices? Will the technological revolu- 
tion on our farms continue to bring 
rapid changes in productivity, number, 
and size of farms, and changes in rural 
life? What will be the regional changes 
in farm population and farm organiza- 
tion? 

The opening session will set the gen- 
eral scene — the national and interna- 
tional economic outlook, agricultui-al 
trade prospects, and tt\e world food 
situation. 

Other sessions will examine the dy- 
namics of rural life today, and the pros- 
pects and patterns rural residents can 
expect in the future. The farm programs 
and their probable impacts on output 
and on farm prices and public costs will 
be discussed, along with the outlook for 
agribusiness, and the general prospects 
for U.S. farmers. 

Family living session will look at new 
programs in housing and nutrition for 
both rural and urban residents, and 
their probable impact on rural life, farm 
markets, and farm income. 

Finally, the commodity sessions will 
have their usual important place on the 
program — since the basic purpose of the 
Outlook Conference is to translate all 
the variables into the outlook for live- 
stock products, feed grains, wheat, soy- 
beans, fruits and vegetables, cotton, and 
other farm products. 




MRS. COST REDUCTION, USDA 
* * For February 1969 * * 



MRS. INGA Y. STOOD is batting .600! In 11 
years: 20 employee suggestions submitted — 12 
adopted! Mrs. Stood, with the Consumer and 
Marking Service in Chicago, is a valuable mem- 
ber of the USDA team. Her suggestion record 
is excellent especially when compared to the 
1968 USDA suggestion rate of 6.3 submitted 
and 1.7 adopted per 100 employees. Through 
the Incentive Awards Program, Mrs. Stood has 
received $245 for tangible savings from her 
suggestions, plus three $150 cash awards, and 
a Quality Step Increase as a result of seven 
Outstanding Performance Ratings. Five promo- 
tions have moved her from a GS-2 Clerk Steno 
to a GS-7 Property Utilization Assistant. She 
recently received a commendation from the 
Secretary for her outstanding contribution to 
the Cost Reduction effort. Mrs. Stood's latest 
idea can be used anywhere property record 
cards are maintained. When a large volume of 
similar items are received and individual prop- 
erty cards are needed, a stencil is prepared. 
Basic information needed on each property 
record card is typed on the stencil three times. 
Copies sufficient to list the separate items are 
run on a duplicating machine. Three cards are 
then cut from each sheet. In one application 
of Mrs. Stood's method, 5% hours were saved 
in preparing 232 property cards for weight 
scales received in her office. If this idea can be 
used for property or other types of records in 
your organization, contact your employee sug- 
gestions coordinator. The Employee Suggestions 
Program is a constant source of cost reduction 
and operations improvement ideas. We need 
more people like Inga Stood who doesn't stop 
with just one or two suggestions. Keep your 
ideas coming! 



BROTHERHOOD WEEK, Feb. 16-23 




FRENCH AMBASSADOR M. Charles Lucet 
(right) presents L. J. McMillan, IADS, with 
Chevalier du Merite Agricole. Behind McMillan 
is Ray loanes, FAS Administrator, who accepted 
same honor for R. L. Beul<enkamp, FAS. 

DECORATED FOR HELP 
ON FRENCH MOVIE 

Two USDA officials were recently 
honored by the French Government for 
their contribution to the production of 
a special motion picture soon to be 
shown throughout France. 

R. L. Beukenkamp, Foreign Agricul- 
tural Service, and L. J. McMillan, Inter- 
national Agricultural Development Serv- 
ice, received medals naming them 
Chevalier du Merite Agricole. French 
Ambassador M. Charles Lucet made the 
presentations at a special ceremony held 
in Washington, D.C. Ray loanes, FAS 
Administrator, accepted the award for 
Beukenkamp who was on assignment in 
Europe. 

The Chevalier du Merite Agricole, 
given for achievements in the field of 
agriculture, is one of the highest civilian 
awards conferred by the Govermnent of 
France. 

A motion picture crew from the 
French Ministry of Agriculture spent 
several weeks in the United States dur- 
ing 1967 filming various aspects of the 
livestock industry. McMillan arranged 
a schedule and travel details that took 
the crew to Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, 
Iowa, Nebraska, Texas, California, Colo- 
rado, and Washington, D.C. Beuken- 
kamp accompanied the crew as inter- 
preter and technical advisor and also 
appears in the film. 

The film, which is in color, is entitled 
"A View of the U.S. Livestock Industry." 

Directed by Armand Deleule, head of 
the Agriculture Ministry's Motion Pic- 
ture Service, the 44-minute movie is de- 
signed to promote improved livestock 
production in France. 



Holstein Designated 
Chief Hearing Examiner 

The appointment of Benjamin M. 
Holstein as Chief of the Office of Hear- 
ing Examiners was recently announced 
by the Department. 

Holstein, a hearing examiner since 
1961, succeeds G. Osmond Hyde who re- 
tired after 42 years of government 
service. 

Prior to becoming a hearing examiner, 
Holstein was assistant to the Assistant 
General Counsel of the Department. He 
was engaged principally in representing 
the Department in disciplinary proceed- 
ings under the Commodity Exchange 
Act and the Packers and Stockyards Act, 
working on matters pending before the 
President's Conference on Administra- 
tive Procedure, and revising depart- 
mental rules of practice. 

Holstein is a native of Milwaukee, 
Wis., and served in the Army during 
World War I. He did promotion and 
advertising work in the publication and 
trade press field from 1923-1931, and 
then became a student at Marquette 
University. He holds a J.D. degree from 
Georgetown Law School and an A.B, de- 
gree from George Washington Uni- 
versity. 

The Office of Hearing Examiners con- 
ducts public hearings and performs re- 
lated duties under USDA-administered 
laws which regulate the marketing of 
agricultural commodities and products. 
Such hearings include rulemaking pro- 
ceedings, marketing order contests, dis- 
ciplinary proceedings, and ratemaking. 



About 80 percent of tlie food for the 
National Scliool Lnncli Program is bought 
by local ofTicials from local suppliers. 
C&M.S reports tliese purchases amounted 
lo about SI billion last school year. 



Unique Work in Zambia 

A severe shortage of qualified man- 
power in Zambia prompted a unique 
agreement between that South Central 
African country and the Agency for In- 
ternational Development. Under the 
agreement about 15 U.S. specialists are 
filling operational positions within the 
Zambian Government's civil service. 

USDA is furnishing four specialists: 
Horticulturist Donald Coe and agricul- 
tural engineer James Wadsivorth, both 
with Federal Extension Service: credit 
specialist Ed Iddings. Farmers Home 
Administration: and soils scientist 
Thomas Yeager, Soil Conservation 
Service. 

These first-of-a-kind positions differ 
markedly from the usual "advisor-with- 
counterpart" role of USDA/AID posi- 
tions. The men work as administrators 
and branch chiefs, directly supervising 
local people in operating programs run 
by the Zambian Government. In addi- 
tion, they train local personnel for ad- 
ministrative and other operational posi- 
tions. The Zambian Government reim- 




ON THE HOOF— This wild buffalo is solidly 
penned, but he's still on the hoof, healthy and 
vigorous. Dr. Gerald A. Fuller of the Consumer 
and Marketing Service keeps a safe distance 
as he gives in-the-pen inspection before 
slaughter. 

Inspectors Aren't Buffaloed 

The American buffalo, once almost 
extinct, are roaming the Plains again, 
thanks to wildlife experts at the Depart- 
ment of Interior and other wildlife con- 
servationists. 

What's more, buffalo meat is back on 
the menu. 

Wild buffalo have become so abundant 
there is danger of overgrazing grass- 
lands set aside for them. Their numbers 
are far short of the once-estimated 60 
million, but there are enough so a few 
can be slaughtered each year for public 
sale. 

During November and December the 
Department of Interior slaughtered 175 
buffalo at the Wichita Mountains Wild- 
life Refuge, Cache, Okla. Officials at the 
Refuge asked the Consumer Protection 
Program of the Consumer and Market- 
ing Service to help inspect the meat for 
wholesomeness to meet all requirements 
of the Wholesome Meat Act of 1967. 

Drs. R. W. Russum and F. H. Shimp of 
the CPP office in Oklahoma City worked 
all summer on the project with Julian 
A. Howard, Refuge manager. They rede- 
signed coolers to prevent any possibility 
of spoilage and to provide a better 
product for the consumers. Dr. Gerald 
A. Fuller and other USDA meat inspec- 
tors were on the job for thorough inspec- 
tions before, during, and after slaugh- 
ter — -just as at any commercial meat 
packing plant. 

If you didn't have your order in for 
some of this buffalo meat, it's too late 
now. The supply was quickly exhausted. 

burses USDA for part of the salary of 
the four specialists. 

The men, all of whom have had ex- 
tensive experience in USDA overseas 
programs, are presently at work in or 
around the capital city of Lusaka. They 
began their 2-year Zambian employment 
in the fall of 1968. 



DR. KROCHMAL AND NATURE'S MEDICINE CHEST 




DR. ARNOLD KROCHMAL 

Dr. Arnold Krochmal often combs the 
Appalachian woods to replenish his sup- 
ply of a plant called Lobelia inflata, or 
Indian tobacco. Back in his lab, he re- 
moves the seeds, dries them, puts them 
into his germinator. and lets them grow. 

For Dr. Krochmal, these trips between 
the woods and the lab are not unusual. 
He is a research botanist and project 
leader at the Forest Service's North- 
eastern Forest Experiment Station Lab- 
oratory at Berea, Ky. His project is the 
study of medicinal plants, like the 
Indian tobacco. The project is main- 
tained in cooperation with the Univer- 
sity of Kentucky, Auburn University. 
and the University of Mississippi. 

Though the use of natural plants for 
healing has long been wrapped in super- 
stitution, many plants of the forest do 
have medicinal qualities. Roots, bark, 
stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds 
of certain species are much in demand 
today. Of the $2.5 billion worth of phar- 
maceuticals consumed in the United 
States in 1967, $300 million worth were 
made from natural forest plants. 

The modern doctor daily writes an 
average of eight prescriptions for drugs 
of natural origin. The ice cream dealer, 
the textile and toilet manufacturer — 
literally the butcher, the baker, and the 
candlestick maker — find natural forest 
plants indispensible in their trades. 

Many of the most valuable medicinal 
plants have such complex molecules 
that they cannot be duplicated in a test 
tube or manufactured synthetically. In 
addition, propagation — both in the for- 
est and in artificial culture — is a major 
problem. Many of the plants are diffi- 
cult — some virtually impossible — to 
propagate. Conservationists fear that 
entire strains might be depleted if prop- 
agation remains unsuccessful. This is 
the problem Dr. Krochmal is tackling. 



Dr. Krochmal is currently publishing 
an illustrated manual of medicinal 
plants in Appalachia, where as least 125 
marketable species grow. The manual 
will provide information to local resi- 
dents who want to supplement incomes 
by gathering medicinal forest plants. 
He encourages this practice although 
urging collectors to leave enough plants 
in each locale to consei-ve plant popula- 
tion for future years. 

Kroclinial Is Man of Many Talents 

The atmosphere in Dr. Krochmal's 
lab reflects his experiences as an adven- 
turer, world-traveller, philosopher, 
writer, educator, and humanitarian. 
Name some of the more exciting places 
in the world — Greece, Afghanistan, Hon- 
duras. Thailand, Brazil. Surinam, Bar- 
bados, the Virgin Islands — and he has 
lived there. 

Dr. Krochmal served with USD A in 
the Virgin Islands where he developed 
gi'owing and marketing methods for 
papaya, tapioca, pineapples, cassava, 
and African yams. He advised the gov- 
ernments of Jamaica and Montsen-at 
on fruit and vegetable plantings. He 
toured the world as an advisor for the 
Agency for International Development. 

In the field of education. Dr. Krochmal 
taught as a Fulbright Professor in 
Greece, served as Chairman of the Horti- 
culture Department of the Pan-Ameri- 
can Agricultural School, Tegucigalpa, 
Honduras, and was on the faculty of 
the College of the Virgin Islands. In 
addition, he has taught at colleges 
and universities in New Mexico, New 
York, Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, and 
Kentucky. 

Today, as an unpaid consultant for 
Volunteers for International Technical 
Assistance, Schenectady, N.Y., he helps 
answer inquiries on agricultural prac- 
tices from Peace Corps volunteers, mis- 
sionaries, and foreign technicians. 

Dr. Krochmal's humanitarian inter- 
ests continue at Berea where Appalachia 
poverty surrounds him. He is a Cub 
Scout leader and, when time permits, 
works with Save the Children Fund. He 
is helping set up a woodworking shop in 
a nearby community and recently helped 
several residents organize a self- 
supporting corsage industry, using only 
natural forest materials such as acorns, 
miniature pine cones, chestnut hulls, 
and milkweed pods for the lapel 
ornaments. 

A native of the Bronx, Dr. Krochmal 
earned his B.S. degree from North Caro- 
lina State. He completed work on his 
Ph. D. at Cornell after serving as an 
Army Staff Officer during "World "War II. 




RICH ROSVALL, Forest Service helitack fore- 
man, retrieves a dead King salmon from Horse 
Linto Creek during a spawned salmon count 
(called a cut count) In major streams of the 
Six Rivers National Forest In California. A cut 
count of salmon, which die shortly after spawn- 
ing, is one method of gaining information on 
salmon production, location of spawning areas, 
and spawning dates. Each salmon Is meas- 
ured — this one was 43 Inches in length — and 
checked for a tag. The sex and species, either 
King or silver in these streams, are recorded. 
The count is a joint effort of the Forest Service 
and the California Department of Fish and 
Game. 



C&MS Has New Detective Team 

Investigation of the sources of ill- 
nesses thought to be caused by meat or 
poultry is the job of a special team re- 
cently established by USDA. 

Dr. John Spaulding , a veterinary 
toxicologist who has been with USDA 
since 1960, heads the team, known as the 
Toxicology Group. The team works 
within the Consumer and Marketing 
Service in conjunction with the Federal 
meat inspection program. 

The Toxicology Group is alerted by 
field personnel or other sources when- 
ever meat or poultry contamination is 
suspected to be the cause of a disease 
outbreak. As a single reporting and in- 
vestigative point, the Group will co- 
operate with local public health agencies 
to speed identification of the product 
responsible, the amount of product in- 
volved, and the factors causing the dis- 
ease. The team will then assemble and 
distribute information to enable Federal 
meat and poultry inspection personnel 
to minimize illnesses and protect 
consumers. 

The Group will make in-depth analy- 
ses of outbreaks, tracing the cause and 
determining necessary steps to prevent 
any recurrence. 

Other foods produced under voluntary 
C&MS inspection programs will also be 
checked when suspected as the cause of 
illness. 



3 



ARS Scientists Honored by ASA 

Dr. Louis P. Reitz, agronomist with 
the Agricultural Research Service, was 
recently installed as president of the 
Crop Science Society of America. He 
assumed his office at the 60th annual 
meeting of the American Society of 
Agronomy held in New Orleans. The 
Crop Science Society of America and the 
Soil Science Society of America are 
autonomous organizations affiliated with 
ASA. 

A graduate of Kansas State Univer- 
sity, Dr. Reitz also holds degrees from 
the University of Nebraska and the Uni- 
versity of Minnesota. 

He joined USDA in 1946 in Nebraska 
and later served as regional coordinator 
of USDA wheat research for the Central 
Plains States. 

In 1954 Dr. Reitz was named wheat 
investigations leader for the ARS Crops 
Research Division at Beltsville, Md., 
where he has prime responsibility for 
wheat improvement research across the 
country. 

Other ARS scientists honored at the 
annual meeting included: 

Dr. W. Doral Kemper, soil scientist 
stationed at Colorado State University, 
Ft. Collins, Colo., who received the ASA's 
1968 Soil Science Award. Dr. Kemper is 
internationally recognized for his work 
in soil science research and as a physics 
teacher. 

Dr. Hugh W. Bennett, research agron- 
omist, Mississippi State University. State 
College, Miss.: Dr. Dayton L. Kllngnic.n, 
leader of weed investigations on grazing 
lands, Beltsville, Md.; Dr. Marion W. 
Pedersen, research agronomist, Utah 
State University, Logan, Utah: and Dr. 
Robert T. Ramage. research geneticist. 
University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz., who 
were inducted as Fellows of the Society. 



Sabrosky To Head Society 

Dr. Curtis W. Sabrosky, an Agricul- 
tural Research Service entomologist, was 
elected President of the Entomological 
Society of America at a recent meeting 
in Dallas. Tex. 

The Entomological Society is a pro- 
fessional organization of scientists con- 
cerned with the study of both undesira- 
ble and beneficial insects. 

Dr. Sabrosky is director of the ARS 
Systematic Entomology Laboratory, 
which is in the Smithsonian Institution's 
Museum of Natural History, Washing- 
ton, D.C. The laboratory collaborates 
with the Smithsonian Institution in 
identification and classification of the 
world's innumerable insect species. 




THE FARM INDEX, monthly magazine published by the Economic Research Service, recently added 
three Awards of Merit to its editorial "trophies." The awards came out of the 19th Award Exhibit of 
the Art Directors Club of Metropolitan Washington which featured 200 entries prejudged from over 
1.000 as the best advertising and editorial art in the area during 1958. The ERS periodical won its 
citations for cover art, editorial design, and editorial illustration. Staff members pictured above (left 
to right) are: Audrey Ames Cook, editor; Geraldine Schumacher, assistant editor; Stan Baer, Tracy 
Zacharias, and Ed Dever, staff editors; and Bernadette Richardson, secretary — all with the Office of 
Management Services, Division of Information. 



Courageous Act Cited 

William J. Baden, an employee of the 
Sequoia National Forest in California, 
recently received a citation for his heroic 
actions in rescuing an injured pilot from 
a crashed and burning helicopter. 

Baden was on assignment fighting a 
forest lire in California's Angeles Na- 
tional Forest last summer when he saw 
the helicopter crash. He rushed to the 
crash site and directed crews of three 
Forest Service fire tankers to direct 
streams of water on the flaming wreck- 
age and on himself. Despite the intense 
heat and the danger of a fuel tank ex- 
plosion at any moment, Baden entered 
the wreckage, cut the unconscious pilot 
loose, and carried him clear. The pilot 
later died from injuries suffered in the 
crash. 

For his courageous act, Baden received 
a certificate of merit and a $500 check 
from the Forest Service. 




VIP Treatment for VIG'S 

Plant quarantine inspectors helped 
expedite clearance for three babies who 
arrived recently at the Seattle-Tacoma 
Airport. The babies, accompanied by 
two nurses, were gorillas flown from 
Holland to a Seattle zoo. It was the first 



JEROME F. DEFOURNEAUX (right). Chief, Ad- 
ministrative Division, New Orleans Agricultural 
Stabilization and Conservation Service Com- 
modify Office, was recently presented the New 
Orleans Federal Executive Association Dis- 
tinguished Service Award for 1968. This annual 
award is presented to outstanding Federal civil- 
ian employees engaged in executive and admin- 
istrative work. Defourneaux was cited for his 
leadership and direction which resulted in an 
efficient, harmonious, and coordinated opera- 
tion of the Administrative Division. Presenting 
the award is Dr. Homer L. Hitt, Chancellor, 
Louisiana State University, New Orleans. 

time in the experiences of Inspector Ray 
T. Mitsudo that animals were cleared 
before passengers. 

Inspectors removed tangerines, a 
banana, and an apple from "personal 
effects" of the 'VIG's (very important 
gorillas J before they were allowed 
entry. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

FEBRUARY 13 1969 Vol, XXVIII No, 4 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative informatipn required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA. INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 






LIBRARY 

REOEIVED 

MARl 2 1969 

U. S, DEPAPTMENT OF mwm 
BELTSVIl.LE BRANC^ 








FMPI nVFF IMFW5^l ETTER 




VOL. XXVIII NO. 5 
^ FEB. 27, 1969 




Hansen Appointed 
Deputy Under Secretary 

George B . 
Hansen, former 
U.S. Representa- 
tive from Idaho, 
has been ap- 
pointed as Dep- 
uty Under Secre- 
tary for Congres- 
sional Relations. 
Announcement 
of the appoint- 
ment was made 
G. B. HANSEN ^y Secretary 

Hardin on behalf 
of President Nixon. 

Hansen, a resident of Pocatello, Idaho, 
served two terms in the House from 
1965 to 1968. He was the Republican 
candidate for the U.S. Senate last No- 
vember and also was a Senate candidate 
in 1962. 

Born in Tetonia, Idaho, Sept. 14, 1930, 
Hansen graduated from Ricks College, 
Rexburg, Idaho, in 1956 with honors in 
history and Russian. He did graduate 
work at Idaho State University and 
graduated in accountiiig from Grimms 
Business College. 

In 1961-62 he served as mayor of Ala- 
meda, Idaho, and from 1962 to 1965 was 
city commissioner of Pocatello. He served 
as director of the Idaho Municipal 
League from 1961 to 1963. 

Hansen is a former officer in Bannock 
County Republican Central Committee 
and the Bannock County Young Repub- 
licans Club. 

He is an Air Force veteran and is 
an officer in the Naval Reserve. 



SNOWMOBILERS FLOCK 
TO NATIONAL FORESTS 

Fastest growing winter sports activity 
in the National Forests is snowmobiling. 
This versatile and exhilarating sport has 
caught the public's fancy, much as ski- 
ing did back in the 1930's. 

Impact of the snowmobiling on the 
National Forests has been enormous. 
Areas once considered inaccessible have 
developed into winter playgrounds. Ad- 



PRESIDENT RICHARD M. 
NIXON was welcomed by 
Secretary Clifford M. 
Hardin when the Chief 
Executive recently visited 
USDA in Washington, D.C. 
During his visit the Presi- 
dent addressed a large 
audience of USDA employ- 
ees in Jefferson Audi- 
torium. He told them he is 
encouraged by the tre- 
mendous interest and con- 
cern developing in the 
problem of hunger in the 
United States. He said that 
the Department of Agricul- 
ture has an "exciting op- 
portunity" and "a chal- 
lenge" to effectively and 
scientifically use the enor- 
mous productive agricul- 
tural capacity "which this 
Department has helped to 
build through the years" to 
attack the problems of 
hunger and of malnutrition. 
This responsibility, he said, 
is in addition to the pri- 
mary and traditional role of USDA to see "that America's farmers receive their fair sha 
creasing growth and wealth and productivity of this Nation." The President continued, 
department in this Government that will play a bigger role in seeing what kind of a Nation 
to be than . . . this Department." 




re of the in- 
'There is no 
this is going 




ministering this use and providing for 
safety of users is proving a challenge 
to Forest Service recreation specialists. 
In eastern National Forests, where the 
sport first took hold, more than 1,000 
miles of trails have been developed and 
marked for snowmobile travel. Last year 
an estimated 1.3 million visitors spent 
768,000 visitor days using snowmobiles 
on the Forests. Indications are that the 



THOUSANDS OF ADVEN- 
TURERS are discovering 
winter wonderlands in the 
National Forests aboard 
snowmobiles. Here a 
couple, who might never 
have ventured into the Na- 
tional Forests had it not 
been for the snowmobiles, 
pauses to consult a map of 
trails in the Nicolet Na- 
tional Forest in Wisconsin. 



figures will be considerably higher this 
year. 

In the past 6 years, snowmobile pro- 
duction has grown from a few hundred 
machines annually to more than 100,000. 

Snowmobiles have opened up the snow 
country to millions of people of all ages 
and physical capabilities who never be- 
fore attempted to venture into America's 
"winter wonderlands." 



Lennartson Heads C&MS 



^i^r^. 



*ti"$ 




Secretary Clif- 
ford M. Hardin 
has named Roy 
W. Lennartson to 
be Administrator 
of the Consumer 
and Marketing 
Service. As C&MS 
Administrator, 
Lennartson will 
head the agency 
in which he has 
served for most of 
his 32 years with 
R. W. Lennartson TJSDA 

Lennartson is a veteran administrator 
with broad experience in marketing 
problems, both in domestic and inter- 
national trade. For the past year and a 
half, he has been in the foreign market- 
ing field as Associate Administrator for 
the Foreign Agricultural Service. He was 
transferred to this post under the Gov- 
ernmentwide Executive Assignment Pro- 
gram. Prior to the FAS assignment, 
Lennartson was Associate Administrator 
of C&MS for 8 years. 

Lennartson was reared on a farm in 
northern Minnesota and was graduated 
from the University of Maryland. He 
joined the Department in 1936 as an 
agricultural economist with the Farm 
Credit Administration. After Army Serv- 
ice in World War H, he returned to USDA 
as Assistant Director of the Poultry 
Branch in what was then the Production 
and Marketing Administration. In 1951, 
he was promoted to Assistant Adminis- 
trator for Marketing. 

In 1953, Lennartson became Deputy 
Administrator of the newly organized 
Agricultural Marketing Service. He was 
appointed Associate Administrator of 
AMS in 1961 and held the same position 
in C&MS when that agency was formed 
in 1965. 

During the course of his service, Len- 
nartson has had extensive and detailed 
experience with all of the activities ad- 
ministered by C&MS. 



AMERICANS SPEND 18 cents of each 
take-home doUar for food. In the late 
1950's, thev .spent 21 cents; in the late 
1940's, 25 cents. 





O January 20, 1969 A 

eSOOOOOOGOOOCOOOCCOOOSOCCOCO 

2 



SARA BECK, consumer education specialist, 
talks to consumer groups about the Federal 
meat and poultry inspection program. These 
presentations can be requested by contacting 
Miss Beck at the Information Division, Con- 
sumer and Marketing Service, V^ashington, D.C. 
20250, or by contacting one of C&MS' area 
offices in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, 
and San Francisco. 

SARA BECK HAS THE ANSWERS 

"What's the difference between a 
product labeled 'Beef and Gravy' and 
one labeled 'Gravy and Beef?" 

"Can I take part in the making of 
USDA rules for meat and poultry prod- 
ucts content and labeling? " 

Sara Beck has the answers. She is a 
consumer education specialist with the 
Consumer and Marketing Service. It is 
her job to supply the answers to these 
and many more questions from con- 
sumers and their spokesmen about the 
Federal meat and poultry inspection 
program. 

Miss Beck, who is based in Washing- 
ton, D.C, reaches consumer represent- 
atives around the country by way of 
national, regional, and State meetings, 
as well as through radio, television, 
newspapers, and magazines. She sched- 
ules demonstrations and presentations 
before groups interested in the ad- 
vantages of wholesome, sanitarily proc- 
essed, and truthfully labeled meat and 
poultry products. These groups may in- 
clude a meeting of a State consumer 
league, or a convention of home econo- 
mists or food editors. 

Miss Beck says she finds consumers 
keenly interested in the content and 
wholesomeness of meat and poultry 
products. They want to know how to 
read labels, how to select for economy, 
how to prepare these foods properly, 
and how to keep them safe for eating 
between the time they are bought and 
served. 

Trained in home economics and com- 
munications and thoroughly versed in 
USDA's wealth of Valuable food informa- 
tion, Miss Beck is well qualified to pre- 
sent the facts to all interests — the con- 




D. A. HAMIL 



HAMIL RETURNS 
AS REA ADMINISTRATOR 

The appoint- 
ment of David 
A. Hamil, Den- 
ver, Colo., as Ad- 
ministrator of 
the Rural Elec- 
trification Ad- 
ministration was 
recently an- 
nounced by Pres- 
ident Nixon. 
Hamil previously 
served as REA 
Administrator 
under President Eisenhower from 1956 
to 1961. 

Prior to his appointment, Hamil was 
Executive Director of the Department of 
Institutions for the State of Colorado, 
a position he has held since 1963. 

Since his college days, Hamil has been 
a rancher in Logan County, Colo., where 
he was born on December 3, 1908. With 
his brother, he presently operates a 
4,500-acre ranch which includes a large 
cattle-feeding operation and production 
of sugar beets, alfalfa, and corn. 

At the time of his appointment as REA 
Administrator in 1956, Hamil was 
speaker of the Colorado House of Rep- 
resentatives, a position he had held since 
1951. He was first elected to the legis- 
lature in 1938 and with exception of a 
2-year term in 1948-49, he had served in 
it continuously. 

He first became active in the rural 
electrification program in 1939 when he 
helped organize a section of the High- 
line Electric Association, Holyoke, Colo. 
He served as director of the Association 
for 5 years. 

Hamil received his B.A. degree from 
Hastings College, Hastings, Nebr., in 
1930. He is married and the father of 
three children. 

sumer and the food industry. 

She holds a teacher's certificate in 
Home Economics and General Science 
from Catawba College and a Masters 
degree in General Home Economics and 
Communications from the University of 
Maryland. 

Answering consumer questions is not a 
new field for Miss Beck. Before joining 
USDA in 1967, the attractive young lady 
from Salisbury, N.C., worked as a Home 
Advisor for the Duke Power Company in 
Winston-Salem. It was her job to make 
home calls on customers who had pur- 
chased major appliances. 

Miss Beck finds her present work 
"challenging and exciting" as she keeps 
attuned, to consumer needs and the dra- 
matic changes taking place in the food 
industry. 



1968 Was Difficult' Year 
For Screwworm Program 

The last day of 1968 gave screwworm 
eradication officials oire cheerful note on 
which to end an otherwise difficult year. 

December 31, 1968, was the first day 
in over 9 months with no reports of 
screwworm infestations in the United 
States. Veterinarians of the Agricultural 
Research Service said this marked the 
first break in the massive resurgence of 
screwworms that began last March and 
left four Southwestern States with 
nearly 10,000 confirmed cases by the end 
of the year. 

The break was short-lived, however. 
The first 1969 infestation was reported 
in Medina County, Tex., on January 6. 

ARS officials described 1968 as the 
worst screwworm outbreak since 1962, 
when USDA, the States, and the South- 
west Animal Health Research Founda- 
tion launched the cooperative eradica- 
tion program. Prior to the resurgence, 
cases had dropped from 50,000 the first 
year to only 872 in 1967. In 1968, con- 
firmed cases totaled 9,878. 

Strangely enough, 1968 also included 
the longest screwworm-free period on 
record, 101 days, which immediately pre- 
ceded the beginning of the outbreak on 
March 26. Intensive eradication efforts 
had eliminated screwworms from the 
United States; however, a large buildup 
spread northward from Mexico into the 
Southwest, reaching a peak of 4,155 cases 
during the month of October. 

ARS veterinarians attribute the screw- 
worm resurgence to two major causes: 
Cli unusually wet and mild weather 
throughout the Southwest which favored 
rapid screwworm spread and hindered 
eradication efforts, and '2) relaxed pre- 
ventive measures by many ranchers. If 
the border region has a mild winter and 
these conditions continue, they fear an 
even worse outbreak in 1969. 






"Concern for People" 
Is Workshop Theme 

The developing food needs in this 
country was the topic of a national 
workshop held recently in Washington, 
D.C. The Consumer and Marketing Serv- 
ice sponsored the 3 -day meeting. Theme 
for the workshop, "Concern for People," 
coincides with the national focus on 
hunger and malnutrition. 

Purpose of the workshop was to bring 
together knowledgeable and experienced 
persons to study the extent and nature 
of problems involved with Government 
food donation programs and to search 
for recommendations and guidelines for 
these programs. 




FAO's TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE work may consist of projects like this in Ivory Coast, Africa. Here 
an FAO rice expert (right) demonstrates irrigation practices. 

AN INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



FAO — the Food and Agriculture Or- 
ganization of the United Nations — is, in 
a way, an international department of 
agriculture. Participants are 117 member 
countries and 2 associate members. 

The work of the Organization is in 
three major areas; Providing a world 
information service of statistical and 
technical material pertaining to food 
and agriculture; sponsoring interna- 
tional cooperation by holding meetings 
at which agricultural experts from many 
countries can exchange information and 
develop solutions to various problems; 
and providing technical assistance to de- 
veloping countries. 

Nationals from the participating na- 
tions make up the FAO staff of more 
than 5,000 employees. Part of the staff 
works at FAO headquarters in Rome, 
Italy wth the rest located at many 
points throughout the world. 

U.S. nationals were well represented 
on the staff until 1951 when FAO trans- 
ferred headquarters from Washington, 



D.C, to Rome. Since then, the propor- 
tion of U.S. citizens, both in head- 
quarters and field programs, has been 
unduly low. The International Organiza- 
tions Staff within USDA is trying to cor- 
rect this situation by encouraging U.S. 
agricultural experts to seek FAO 
employment. 

FAO offers some unusual possibilities 
in international agriculture work. The 
positions require a college education in 
agriculture or a closely related field, 
some years of professional experience, 
and, in many cases, a Master's or Ph. D. 
degree. In most cases USDA employees 
can get a leave of absence for up to 3 
years, under provisions of P.L. 85-795 to 
accept an FAO position. 

USDA employees who are interested 
and qualified are encouraged to contact 
Mr. Larry Hyer, lOS, Room 339-W, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Washington, 
D.C. 20250. Or phone 202-388-3408 for 
more information. 




MARSHALL C. GARDNER. 
District of Columbia Com- 
mander of the American Le- 
gion, congratulates Ernest 
E. Toth (center), after pre- 
senting him an award for 
outstanding work with the 
handicapped. Toth is Co- 
ordinator for Employment 
of the Physical Hand! 
capped. Eastern Adminis 
trative Division, ARS. As 
sistant Secretary Joseph M 
Robertson is on the right 



Among the approximately 80 partici- 
pants were State leaders of Commodity 
Distribution and School Lunch Programs 



and education departments. USDx^ Con- 
sumer Food Program personnel, and rep- 
resentatives of other Federal agencies. 



APPOINTMENTS 

Appoinlment of two agricultural at- 
taches was recently announced. EUGENE 
T. OLSON was named to the post on the 
U.S. Embassy stafT in Ottawa, Canada, and 
STANLEY W. PHILLIPS will serve as 
attache on the staff" of the Embassy in 
San Salvador, El Salvador. 

Olson, a native of Canada, has been 
with the Deprtmcnt since 1957. He holds 
a degree in agriculture from Montana 
State and a Ph. D. from the Institute for 
Advanced Soviet and East European 
Studies, Columbia University. 

Phillips, a native of New Jersey, joined 
USD A in 1951 as an agricultural econ- 
omist. He served as assistant agricultural 
attache in New Delhi, India, for 2 years 
and since 1966 has been a program co- 
ordinator in the Food For Freedom Pro- 
gram in the Foreign Agricultural Service. 

He is a graduate of Maryville College, 
Maryvillc, Tenn., and studied at Louisiana 
State University, ^vhere he earned his 
Masters degree in economics, and at 
Columbia University. 

HERBERT L. PERLMAN and JOHN G. 
LIEBERT were recently appointed hear- 
ing examiners in the Olhce of Hearing 
Examiners. These appointments fill va- 
cancies created ^vhen Benjamin M. 
Holstein became chief hearing examiner 
and hearing examiner Will Rogers re- 
tired. .\s hearing examiners, the new ap- 
pointees will preside at public hearings 
and perform related duties under various 
USDA-administered statutes which regu- 
late the marketing of agricultural com- 
modities. 

Perlman, a native of New York, has 
been assistant to the judicial officer of 
the Department since 1953. He is also 
an instructor in the USD.A Gradiuite 
School and a member of the Department's 
Board of Contract Appeals. He joined 
USD.A as an attorney in the General 
Counsel's Office in 1951 after a period of 
private practice. 

Liebert is from Kansas and lias been 
deputy director for litigation in the Mar- 
keting Division, Office of the General 
Counsel. He originally joined the Depart- 
ment as an attorney in 19.38 and left dur- 
ing World War II to serve as a naval 
officer in Europe and Japan, and later as 
assistant to the assistant secretary of the 
Interior Department. 

W ILLIAM HORBALY recently assumed 
duties as agricultural attache on the staff' 
of the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, 
replacing Daniel Sheppard who is being 
reassigned to Washington. 

Horbaly has been an agricultural econ- 
omist witli the Department since 1951. He 
served at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow 
from 1959 to 1964 and for the past year 
has attended a .Senior .Seminar in Foreign 
Policy presented by the Foreign Service 
Institute of the Department of State. 

A native of Cleveland. Ohio, Horbaly 
is a graduate of Kent State University, 
Kent, Oiiio, and has a Ph. D. degree from 
tlie University of Chicago. He studied also 
at Charles University in Prague, Czecho- 
slovakia. From 1942—46 he served in the 
U.S. Army. 




AWARDS 



National Lawn and 
, Garden Week 
March 20-26, 1969 

"GROWING WITH AMERICA." Lawn and Garden 
Week (March 20-26) has the support of garden 
clubs and other civic organizations, leaders in 
business and industry, and the Department of 
Agriculture. Community leaders throughout the 
United States are joining in the observance. 
The objective is to improve the appearance of 
homes and neighborhoods with green and grow- 
ing plants. 

Agri Briefs 

The average low-income RUR.\L BOR- 
ROW ER IN THE SOUTH receiving assist- 
ance from the Economic Opportunity loan 
program increased his net family income 
by more than 11 percent, or 8200, during 
the first year after the loan. His income 
is expected to increase another S400 the 
following year, according to a recent re- 
port from the Economic Research Service. 
The report was made to determine the 
financial impact of Office of Economic Op- 
portunity loans made by the Farmers 
Home .\dniini>tratiou to families in South 
Carolina, the Ozark region, and the Mis- 
sissippi Delta during 1966. The loan pro- 
gram was started in 1965. .\ companion 
study of the program's effect on lobster 
fishermen in Maine showed that the in- 
come of the average borrower there in- 
creased by 8565 the first year and was 
expected to increase 8879 the second year. 



During the fiscal year which ended 
June 30, 1968, more than 40 million 
pieces of baggage, 28 million hand-car- 
ried packages, and 68 million incoming 
mail parcels WERE EXAMINED BY 
QUARANTINE INSPECTORS of the Ag- 
ricidtural Research .Service. The in- 
spectors, working at the Nation's airports, 
seaports, and border crossings, slopped an 
inbound foreign plant pest on the average 
of once e\ery 12 minutes and seized 
125,000 pounds of foreign meats from 
countries known to have such dreaded 
animal diseases as foot-and-mouth and 
rinderpest. 



DR. RUTH R. BENERITO, research 
scientist at the .Agricultural Research 
Service Southern utilization research 
laboratory, New Orleans, recently received 
the Southern Chemist .Award for 1968. 

The award is presented annually by 
the Memphis section of the American 
Chemical .Society for distinguished service 
to the chemistrj- profession in the .South. 

Dr. Benerilo was cited for her basic 
research in the physical chemistry of fat 
emidsions and for her work on epoxides, 
metallic salts, and diepoxy compounds. 

She previously received the Federal 
Woman's .Aivard for 1968 from the U.S. 
Civil Service Commission. 



DR. GLENN W. BURTON, Agricul- 
tural Research Service scientist at Tifton, 
Ga., recently received the American Farm 
Bureau Federation's highest honor — the 
award for distinguished and meritorious 
service in the interest of organized agri- 
cidture. 

Dr. Burton was honored for his 32 
years of service to agriculture as a geneti- 
cist. .At the Georgia Coastal Plains Ex- 
periment .Station, Dr. Burton developed 
grasses and forage crops that revolution- 
ized animal agriculture in areas where 
tliey are adapted. 

He has received numerous awards from 
scientific societies and civic and profes- 
sional organizations for his work. In 1962, 
he was elected president of the .American 
Society of .Agronomy. 

.A native of Nebraska, Dr. Burton re- 
ceived his bachelor's degree from the 
University of Nebraska and earned mas- 
ter's and doctor's degree at Rutgers 
University, N.J. .All of his professional life 
has been spent at Tifton as an ARS 
scientist. 



Forest Service Chief EDWARD P. 
CLIFF was recently elected chairman of 
the National .Advisory Council of Keep 
.\merica Beautiful, Inc. He will serve as 
the U.S. Government representative to 
the organization, an industry-financed 
clearinghouse and coordinating agency 
for anti-litter activities. 



The .Agricultural Research Service's 
SNAKE RIVER CONSERVATION RE- 
SEARCH CENTER, Kimberly, Idaho, was 
recentl> cited for its vigorous, well- 
rounded .Snake River Plains conservation 
program. The .American Society of .Agri- 
cultural Engineers made the award. The 
center is concerned with research into soil 
and water conservation. 



PLENTIFUL FOODS 

USDA's March list. Featured are dried 
prunes. Other plentifuls include: Po- 
tatoes, canned tomatoes and tomato 
products, canned and frozen sweet corn, 
grapefruit, grapefruit juice, rice, peanuts 
and peanut products, pork, and turkey. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

FEBRUARY 27, 1969 Vol. XXVIII No. 5 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c4.S— .333-01" 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



w. 






1^ I O K M K 

RECEIVED 

MA1^2 21969 



llRMPWIiiTOfAbRIPLM 
ELTSVILLE BRA^ CH 





VOL. XXVIII NO. 6 
MARCH 13, 1969 



Galbraith Named to ASCS 

President Nix- 
on recently 
■ announced the 
appointment of 
William E. Gal- 
^^^'~^"^ braith as Deputy 

^^^^/^llpri^^ Administrator for 

^^^^^ '^^^^ State and County 

^^^^^^ ^^^^ Operations, Agri- 

^^^^^^■^^^^B Con- 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ servation Service. 

w. E. GALBRAITH Galbraith is a 

livestock feeder 
and farmer of Beemer, Nebr. 

Born in Beemer on January 22, 1926. 
Galbraith graduated from the University 
of Nebraska with a degree in Agricul- 
tural Extension and Technical Science. 
Prom 1949 until 1960 he was a high 
school agricultural instructor at West 
Point, Nebr., and managed and operated 
the family farm which his great grand- 
father homesteaded after the Civil War. 
In 1960 he took over ownership of the 
farm which includes cropland and cattle 
and hog feeding operations. 

A World War II Navy veteran, Gal- 
braith is immediate past National Com- 
mander of the American Legion. He has 
served as chairman of the Nebraska 
Centennial Commission, co-chairman of 
the Governor's Conference on Education, 
first president of the Nebraska Swine 
Producers Organization, and director of 
the Nebraska Youth Council. 



SCS HELPS BSA 

A booklet recently published by the 
Boy Scouts of America is the result of 
efforts by Soil Conservation Service 
personnel. Credited as authors of the 
publication, entitled "Soil and Water 
Conservation," are Walter E. Jeske, 
Katharine N. Mergen, and Tarleton A. 
Jenkins of the SCS Information Divi- 
sion in Washington, D.C., and Robert 
H. Tegner, SCS information officer, Port- 
land, Oreg. Also acknowledged by the 
BSA is the counsel and technical assist- 
ance given by many other SCS persomiel. 

The publication is a completely new 




MR. COST REDUCTION, USDA 
• • For March 1969 • • 

Facsimile signature rubber stamps are not 
always easy to read — and they are expensive. 
JOHN T. WILSON, a personal property clerk 
with the Office of Management Services, sug- 
gested that inexpensive typewritten signature 
rubber stamps be purchased instead. The idea 
was adopted by OMS, resulting in estimated 
savings of $330 in 1968 for agencies served by 
OMS and a cash award of $20 through the In 
centive Awards Program for Wilson. Recently 
the plan was adopted by other USDA agencies. 
Further savings of $800 are estimated and 
another check for $40 was presented to Wilson. 
The idea hasn't stopped at USDA. This money- 
saving suggestion is being forwarded to the 
General Services Administration for possible 
adoption in other Departments. Wilson has 
reaped cash benefits twice before for employee 
suggestions which were adopted. Polish up 
some of your bright ideas. They could pay off 
in savings to us taxpayers (that includes you). 
You may also earn extra cash. The next USDA 
Cost Reducer of the Month could be you. 

version of a booklet first introduced in 
the BSA Merit Badge Series in 1952. 
The 98-page illustrated booklet is de- 
signed to aid Boy Scouts and Explorers — 
in both rural and urban areas — fulfill 
seven basic requirements for soil and 
water conservation merit badges. It 
contains background information on in- 
telligent use and conservation of soil and 
water resources, suggestions for carrying 
out conservation action projects, and 
source material relating to resource 
conservation. 




COPP COLLINS 



Copp Collins Named 
Public Affairs Aide 

Secretary Clif- 
ford M. Hardin 
recently an- 
nounced the 
appointment of 
CovP Collins as 
his Assistant for 
Public Affairs. 
Collins, public 
relations and po- 
litical consultant, 
will serve as news 
secretary for Sec- 
retary Hardin in 
addition to other assignments out of the 
Office of the Secretary. 

In recent months, Collins was associ- 
ated with the Nixon-Agnew Campaign 
Committee as an aide to Herbert G. 
Klein, Director of Communications for 
the Executive Branch. He has served as 
transition press aide to Klein since early 
December. 

Born in Keokuk, Iowa, Collins gradu- 
ated from the University of Redlands 
with an A.B. degree in political science 
and spent 2 years in the study of law. 

He headed the Copp Collins Associates, 
public relations and management con- 
sulting firm, and was president of Collins 
& Lynge, Ltd., marketing and public rela- 
tions agency in New York. 

Prior to that he was vice president- 
director of Chirurg & Cairns, Inc. adver- 
tising agency; vice president-director of 
Friend-Reiss advertising agency in New 
York; and manager of public relations 
for California Texas Oil Co. in the 
Middle East. 

He also was manager of public rela- 
tions of Mutual Broadcasting System, 
New York; bureau manager of United 
Press in San Diego; and public relations 
consultant and advisor to several mem- 
bers of Congress. 



Tlu- av.-rast- Anuriiaii CONSUMED 
OM'. MOKK K(;(. in 1*)(,8 tluin l.o did in 
1967. arcortlinj: to tlie Kconiunio Ko»oar»'li 
.*<er\i»'0. Tliat o.vlra »';i}i boo>ted llu" aver- 
nfiv Anieriran"* intake to 321. still nut up 
to tlu- liijtli of 103 per person aeliie>eil 
in 19J5. 




J. V. SMITH 



James V. Smith 
Is New FHA Head 

Former United 
States Repre- 
sentative James 
V . Smith of 
Chickasha, Okla.. 
has been 

appointed Ad- 
ministrator of the 
Farmers Home 
Administration, 
according to Sec- 
retary Clifford M. 
Hardin. 
Smith was born 
on July 23, 1926, in Oklahoma City. A 
lifetime farmer and cattleman, he owns 
and operates the family farm in Grady 
County, Okla., where he was reared. He 
graduated from high school in Tuttle. 
Okla., where he was a 4-H Club and Fu- 
ture Farmers of America member, and 
attended Oklahoma College of Liberal 
Arts, Chickasha. 

In 1958 Smith won the Chickasha 
Jaycees Outstanding Young Farmer 
Award and that organization's Out- 
standing Citizen Award in 1965. From 
1954 to 1957 he was a member of the 
FHA County Committee for Grady 
County. 

Smith was elected in 1966 to the 90th 
Congress from Oklahoma's Sixth Dis- 
trict which includes predominantly rural 
counties in the western part of the State. 
He served on the House Armed Services 
Committee. 

Active in church and youth work. 
Smith has served as a member of the 
Board of Regents of Oklahoma's 4-year 
colleges and is a trustee of the American 
Heritage Center at Oklahoma Christian 
College, Oklahoma City. 




E. STONE II and B. FLAMM 

FS Doubly Honored 
With Flemming Awards 

Two Forest Service employees, Edward 
Stone II and Barry Flavnn, were among 
the "Ten Outstanding Young Men in the 
Federal Government" to receive the 1968 
Arthur S. Flemming Awards, February 
13. This is a rare honor to have one 
agency doubly represented in the cov- 
eted awards given annually by the IJ.S, 
Junior Chamber of Commerce. 

Stone, Chief Landscape Architect with 
the Forest Service in 'Washington, D.C., 
was honored for his work in the "preser- 
vation of esthetic values of wildlands." 

Flamm, on duty in Saigon with the 
Forest Service's International Forestry 
Staff, flew in to take part in the award 
ceremonies. He was cited for his out- 
standing contribution as a member of a 
team working to rehabilitate the timber- 
related industry in South Vietnam. 

The Flemming Awards were presented 
at a luncheon for the winners, members 
of the Cabinet, and other distinguished 
guests in 'Washington, D.C. Associate 
Justice Thurgood Marshall. Chairman 
of the panel of judges which selected the 
winners, made the presentations. 





RUDOLPH A. WENDELIN (second from left), USDA Staff Artist assigned to the Forest Service, displays 
the plaque presented him as winner of the 1963 Horace Hart Award of the Education Council of 
Graphic Arts Industry. Congratulating Wendelin are (left to right) Assistant Secretary Joseph M. 
Robertson, Deputy Chief of the Forest Service Arthur Greeley, and Office of Information Director 
Harold Lewis. Wendelin is one of two Government employees to win the 1968 award. He shared the 
honors with James Murray, Chief of the Publications Branch, Internal Revenue Service. Both winners 
were cited for significant contributions in the field of printing and publishing, for having distinguished 
themselves in their government careers, and for giving freely of their time to their community. The 
award, which is given annually, was presented recently at the Printing Industry of Washington banquet. 
A formal presentation reception will take place at the national headquarters of the Education Council 
of the Graphic Arts Industry in Pittsburgh, Pa., March 26. 

2 




Secretary Names Behrens 
To Be Executive Assistant 

Secretary Clif- 
ford M. Hardin 
has announced 
the appointment 
of E. F. Behrens 
as his Executive 
Assistant, a role 
Behrens has been 
filling as the 
transition repre- 
sentative for the 
Secretary during 
December and 
January. 

Behrens, a native of Bryant, S. Dak., 
was formerly Minority Consultant to the 
Executive Reorganization Subcommittee 
of the Senate Committee on Government 
Operations during 1967-68. Previous to 
that, he worked for the National Forest 
Products Association where he held the 
positions of Manager of General Opera- 
tions and Manager of Member Relations. 
From 1949 to 1958, he was Executive Sec- 
retary to Senator Karl E. Mundt of 
South Dakota. 

Behrens holds a Bachelor of Science 
degree from South Dakota State Col- 
lege and served in the Army in a tank 
destroyer battalion. 



E. F. BEHRENS 



USDA to the Rescue 

USDA help in the form of food, emer- 
gency credit, and other assistance was 
rushed into areas devastated by two 
major disasters in January. The aid 
went to victims of tornadoes which 
struck three Mississippi counties on Jan- 
uary 23 and to people whose lives and 
property were affected by extensive 
floods and mud slides in California. 

Food, assembled under Consumer and 
Marketing Service programs, was made 
available for families in the stricken 
areas. Farmers Home Administration 
personnel were on hand to assist in 
emergency loans if needed. USDA offi- 
cials evaluated destruction to grazing 
areas, cropland, and conservation 
structures. 

Forest Service equipment cleared 
water and mud from buildings, streets, 
and roads in California, and helicopters 
rescued persons stranded by the flood. 
In the Santa Ynez River area 120 people 
were plucked from homes threatened by 
rising waters by the FS helicopters. 

Personnel from the Forest Service and 
the Soil Conservation Service assessed 
damage to watersheds and flood control 
structures, and kept an eye on heavy 
snows in mountainous areas for possible 
additional flooding problems. 



Let Us Spray . . . Safely 

Insect pests that invade homes this 
spring — or anytime of the year — can be 
controlled effectively with pesticide 
sprays. Such chemicals, however, must 
be handled with care and caution to 
avoid accidents, particularly where chil- 
dren are concerned. 

"Pesticide Safety in Your Home," a 
new illustrated pamphlet issued by 
USDA, tells the homemaker how to com- 
bine effectiveness with safety in com- 
batting damaging or annoying insects. 

Issuance of the pamphlet coincides 
with observance of National Poison Pre- 
vention Week, March 16-23. However. 
USDA does not limit its pesticide safety 
activities to 1 week of the year or to one 
area of interest. 

Pesticides are generally the most ef- 
fective, and in many instances, the only 
weapons available to fight pests that 
damage or destroy food and fiber crops, 
and endanger human health. USDA has 
major responsibilities in combatting 
these pests. 

In carrying out the responsibilities, 
the Department conducts a number of 
continuing programs designed to pro- 
tect man, animals, and their environ- 
ment from potential hazards associated 
with pesticide use. It administers laws 
and regulations that govern the move- 
ment and sale of pesticides in interstate 
commerce; inspects for residue levels, if 
any, in meat and poultry products; 
monitors soils, water, and air for poten- 
tial pollution by pesticides; conducts re- 
search to find additional safe and effec- 
tive pest control methods; and promotes 
public education and information on 
safe use of pesticides. 

Through a nationwide program, USDA 
keeps farmers and ranchers, housewives 
and gardeners, and the general public 
informed of the need for care and cau- 
tion in handling pesticides. Within the 
Department, the information-education 
program is carried out by the Office of 
Information, Agricultural Research 
Service. Federal Extension Service. 





Keep 

PESTICIDES 
out of 
reach 
of CHILDREN 



U S DEPARTMENT Of AGRICULTURE 



Forest Service, and other concerned 
agencies. 

The program uses spot announcements 
on radio and television, slides, movies, 
feature stories, news releases, and car- 
toons to promote the safe use of pesti- 
cides. Publications, such as the one men- 
tioned earlier, are sent on request to the 
general public. Information packets are 
distributed to schools, youth organiza- 
tions, and civic groups. In addition. 
USDA cooperates with State extension 
services in conducting safe-use educa- 
tion activities. 

More than 60.000 pesticide products 
made from one or more of 900 chemical 
compounds are currently registered by 
USDA. More than $1^4 million is spent 
annually by the public on pesticide prod- 
ucts. 

Single copies of "Pesticide Safety in 
Your Home" iPA-895' can be obtained 
free on postcard request to the Office of 
Information, U.S. Department of Agri- 
culture. Washington, D.C. 20250. 




NORTHEASTERN OKLAHO- 
MANS are out to increase 
local income by $25 million 
a year through resource 
improvements. This new 
highway sign marks the 
1.325,000-acre Cherokee 
Hills Resource Conserva- 
tion and Development Proj- 
ect. Members of the proj- 
ect's executive committee 
and council are: (left to 
right) Furman Bryant, Earl 
Squyres. Charley Kirk, and 
Lloyd Goodwin. The Soil 
Conservation Service co- 
ordinates the work of many 
agencies aiding the locally 
organized project. 



WOMEN "BLAZE" 
FORESTRY CAREERS 

Alyse F. Moore ( below t , student at the 
Forestry School of Stephen F. Austin 
State College, Nacogdoches, Tex., listens 
as Edward P. Cliff, Chief, Forest Service, 
explaiiis the attributes of the once widely 
used West Coast type logging axe. The 
power chain saw has replaced this axe 
in most areas, he said. 

Miss Moore, of Houston, Tex. — on 
winter vacation from college where she 
is majoring in Forest Recreation Admin- 
istration — stopped in at the office of the 
Chief of the Forest Service in Washing- 
ton to get acquainted with the man who 
could become her future employer. 

Time was when professional work in 
the forests was considered a male pre- 
rogative, but this is no longer true. To- 
day, a steadily growing number of young 
women have decided, like Miss Moore, 
to seek a forestry career. Nearly 250 
women are currently enrolled in forestry 
schools across the Nation, according to 
a count recently made by the Society of 
American Foresters — and their numbers 
are growing. Women are now filling 




many important positions at the Forest 
Service, Chief Cliff said. These include 
data analysts in forest survey and hy- 
drology, road and bridge technicians and 
designers, laboratory researchers on 
forest insects and disease, conservation- 
education specialists, and many more. 

Miss Moore informed the Chief that 
she has other female company in the 
Texas forestry school — Patricia Keller 
of Albuquerque, N. Mex., and Mary 
Thompson, a Floridian. All three look 
forward to the day when they can grad- 
uate and take jobs as professional 
foresters. 

When asked how she enjoys training 
for what is traditionally a man's pro- 
fession. Miss Moore said. "No prob- 
lem. In school the boys treat us as equals 
and that's the wav we like it." 



3 



Mineral King Planned 
As All-Year Playground 

Family recreational facilities for use 
every day in the year, a self-contained 
village nestled in an alpine setting, 
and an underground automobile recep- 
tion center that keeps cars out of sight 
and out of the valley are among the 
highlights of the planned Mineral King 
Public Recreation Area in California's 
High Sierra country. 

A master development plan for the 
project, submitted by Walt Disney Pro- 
ductions, was recently approved by the 
Forest Service. The master plan is based 
on 3 years of studies and analyses by the 
Disney organization in close cooperation 
with Forest Service experts, specialists, 
and private consultants. Walt Disney 
Productions was issued the 3-year 
planning permit in 1966 after their pro- 
posal was personally selected by former 
Secretary Freeman from those of six 
business organizations responding to a 
Forest Sei'vice development prospectus. 
In announcing approval of the master 
plan, J. W . Deinevia, Regional Forester, 
said the objective of the Forest Service 
"is to provide a needed public service so 
that the scenic, aesthetic, and recrea- 
tional resources of Mineral King can be 
enjoyed by the American people as part 
of their heritage. At the same time, we 
intend to work with the Disney organi- 



'^vt^^mt^ 




MINERAL KING VILLAGE, as seen by an artist, will serve as the focal point of the planned Mineral 
King Public Recreation Area, high in the California Sierras. Visitors will reach the Village via a cog- 
assist railway from an underground automobile reception center. 



zation to assure that the development 
can be accomplished without substantial 
impairment or permanent, undesirable 
ecological impact." 

Site of the planned all-year recrea- 
tional project is in the Sequoia National 
Forest, 55 miles east of Visalia, Calif. 
The alpine terrain of Mineral King in- 
cludes eight major snow basins which 
will provide outstanding skiing, sledding, 
and general snow play. In addition, 
winter recreation facilities will include 
indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks, 
a heated outdoor swimming pool, a ski 
jump amphitheater, and trails for cross- 




country skiing. 

In summertime Mineral King's snow 
disappears uncovering an area filled 
with 20 mountain lakes, limestone cav- 
erns, waterfalls and streams, pine for- 
ests, and grassy meadows. Summer ac- 
tivities in this natural playground will 
include fishing, hiking, camping, pic- 
nicking, sightseeing, and conservation 
education. 

The project will open to the general 
public in winter, 1973, upon completion 
of an all-weather access road by the 
State of California. The master plan out- 
lines details for initial improvements by 
1973 to accommodate 1,505 overnight 
guests, plus day visitors, as well as 
scheduled development to 1978. 



COMMERCIAL CATFISH FARMING is providing "net" income for many farmers in the southern part of 
the United States. Farmers, who in the past planted catfish in their farm ponds just for the fun of it, 
are discovering that with a little planning they can raise a profitable crop of fish every year. Since the 
early 1960's, when catfish farming got its start, the Soil Conservation Service has helped thousands 
of farmers with information on the selection, design, and construction of pond sites and on the 
management requirements needed to raise catfish successfully. Harvests, like the one above at a 
catfish farm near Lake Charles, La., are marketed through fee fishing lakes, restaurants, fish markets, 
and processors. In addition to opening their ponds to sportsmen for fee fishing, many farmers increase 
their incomes by renting fishing equipment and boats, and selling bait. 



Koger New FHA State Director 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin recently 
appointed Paul M. Koger as State di- 
rector for Tennessee for the Farmers 
Home Administration. 

Koger began his USDA career in 1941 
a.s a county supervisor for the Farm Se- 
curity Administration. From 1945 to 
1952 he served as county agent for 
McMinn County, Tenn., and later 
worked as a soil conservation specialist 
with a manufacturing company at 
Athens. 

In 1954 he became administrative 
officer for the Tennessee State Agricul- 
tural Stabilization and Conservation 
Service. 

From 1956 to 1961 Koger served as 
national administrator of the Agricul- 
tural Conservation Program Service. 

In July 1961 he returned to Tennessee 
as a management district supervisor for 
the University of Tennessee Agricultural 
Extension Service at Chattanooga. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



MARCH 13, 1969 

4 



Vol, XXVIII No, 6 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible: for rush orders, call E.\t. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 

c43 — ;i34-49G U.S. government printing office 






L I D r^ M r\ T 

APR14 1969 ■ 



u. s. mmm Of 

BELTSVILLE BRANCH 




EMPLOYE'^ •^'^WSLETTF^ 




VOL. XXVIII NO. 7 
MARCH 27, 1969 



Free Food Stamps 
To South Carolina 

A program to provide free food stamps 
to families who have very little or no 
income was initiated March 3 in Jasper 
and Beaufort Counties, South Carolina. 
The Lempoiar>, expeiiineutal prugiaiii 
was offered to the counties in an unpre- 
cedented action by Secretary Clifford M. 
Hardin. His action came after a recent 
conference with Senator Ernest F. Hol- 
lings of South Carolina, who told of his 
direct observations of need for more food 
assistance in the two counties. 

The program will be operated by the 
welfare departments of South Carolina 
and the two counties. They will have 
the responsibility of determining the 
extent of need for the program and the 
persons eligible to receive food stamps 
free. Both counties have had food stamp 
programs since 1967. Except for this test 
program, persons determined by local 
welfare certification to have little or no 
income, pay at least 50 cents per person 
per month — up to a maximum of $3 for 
an entire family — to get food stamps. 

The test program will enable USDA to 
measure if or to what extent the food 
needs of the very poor are unmet by the 
regular Food Stamp Program. It will also 
involve trial of simplified and more flex- 
ible certification procedures for low- 
income people who do not receive public 
assistance but whose incomes fluctuate 
from month to month. Issuance of 
stamps by mail to certifled persons is also 
authorized. 

Personnel of the Consumer and Mar- 
keting Service will help local welfare 
workers with some of the routine cer- 
tification chores and with additional 
clerical workload that may result from 
the test efforts. 

In addition to the food stamp actions, 
a second food assistance program was 
started in the two counties on March 10. 
This is the C&MS-administered supple- 
mental food service to expectant and 
nursing mothers, infants, and children 
from low-income families. 

This program was initiated nationally 
by C&MS in December, 1968. 




AFTER SIGNING his first crop report, the 1969 
Livestock and Poultry Inventory summary. Sec- 
retary Clifford M. Hardin checks his watch be- 
fore releasing the report to waiting wire service 
and newspaper reporters. The report, prepared 
under security conditions by the Crop Reporting 
Board, was released precisely at 3:00 p.m., Feb. 
13, to as wide an audience as possible. This 
procedures insures that no individual or group 
gets the information in advance and profits from 
it. The report indicated more cattle, calves, 
hogs, and pigs on farms and ranches than a 
year earlier, but fewer sheep- lambs chickens, 
and turkeys. 



Recreation For Millions 

Outdoor recreation facilities, expected 
to attract more than 10 million visitors a 
year, are important features of 124 
watershed projects being developed by 
communities in 33 States. USDA pro- 
vides technical and financial assistance 
to the projects. 

Facilities for swimming, boating, water 
skiing, picnicking, and hiking will be 
provided in and around 145 lakes being 
built as part of the projects. Estimated 
cost of the 145 recreation developments 
is $31.2 million in Federal money and 
$40.8 million from local sources. 

About 17 percent of the 837 watershed 
projects currently authorized will have 
recreation developments. 



Paarlberg Named 
Ag Economics Head 

The appointment of Don Paarlberg, 
57, as Director of Agricultural Econom- 
ics was recently announced by Secre- 
tary Clifford H. Hardin. 

Paarlberg was Assistant Secretary of 
Agriculture for Marketing and Foreign 
Agriculture during the administration 
of President Eisenhower. 

Since 1961, he has been Hillenbrand 
Professor of Agricultural Economics at 
Purdue University. Last year he also was 
a member of the Agricultural Advisory 
Committee named by Mr. Nixon and 
chairman of a task force on job oppor- 
tunities. He has served as Assistant to 
the Secretary of Agriculture; member 
of the Board of Directors, Commodity 
Credit Corporation: Special Assistant to 
the President; Food for Peace Coordina- 
tor; and Secretary, National Agricul- 
tural Advisory Commission. 

In addition, he has served as an of- 
ficer with the American Farm Economic 
Association; delegate. International 
Conference of Agricultural Economists 
in 1949 and 1955; and agribusiness con- 
sultant with various firms. 

He has also traveled abroad as a con- 
sultant for the Ford Foundation, the 
Agency for International Development, 
and USDA. He- has written extensively 
on agricultural economics. 

Born in Oak Glen, 111., Paarlberg grew 
up on a farm near Crown Point, Ind. He 
helped operate this farm until leaving 
to attend Purdue University. He ob- 
tained his B.S. degree in agriculture 
from Purdue in 1940 and a Ph. D. in ag- 
ricultural economics from Cornell in 
1946. 

THE NUMBER OF FOREST FIRES 

started by carelessness in 1968 dropped 
for the second year in a row. Man-caused 
fires fell to 4,900. some 200 under the 
5-year average ( 1963-67 >. Total number 
of fires from all causes — lightning as 
well as man — was also below normal in 
1968. The 9,700 fires were 2,000 fewer 
than in 1967 and more than 1,000 below 
the 5 -year average. 




JOHN R. RUSSELL displays a talent for two careers — a research chemist at the Eastern utilization 
laboratory, he will leave soon to pursue a profession in music. 

ARS RESEARCH CHEMIST WINS VOICE SCHOLARSHIP 



John R. Russell, research chemist with 
the Agriculture Research Service, was 
recently awarded a scholarship for voice 
study by the Lauritz Melchior Founda- 
tion. 

Russell was one of two heldentenors 
out of nine finalists who competed for 
the scholarship when they sang before 
Melchoir, the great Wagnerian tenor. 
Heldentenor denotes a singer whose dra- 
matic tenor voice is suited for heroic 
operatic roles. 

The scholarship provides for all the 
expenses of the young singer aiyi his 
family while he pursues voice study at a 
place of his choosing. Russell plans to 
enter the Juilliard School of Music in 
New York in the fall and to study abroad 
the following summer. For the past 9 
years he has studied with Mme. Ilia 
Carettnay of the Germantown Settle- 
ment Music School. 



A graduate of the University of Penn- 
sylvania in 1954 with a B.A. degree in 
chemistry, Russell has done research at 
the ARS Eastern utilization research 
laboratory in Wyndmoor, Pa., since 1958. 

Russell sang for 18 years in the choir 
of the Enon Baptist Church where he is 
a member, and with many other church 
choirs. During the past 2 years he has 
appeared as feature solist with many 
symphony orchestras and has performed 
with the Suburban Opera Company, 
Chester, Pa. A three-time winner of the 
Philadelphia Eisteddfod (Welsh singing 
festival t , he competed last year at the 
International Eisteddfod in Wales. 

Russell's wife Barbara is his accom- 
panist. They have six children. Their 
oldest child, Keith, 12, is a budding 
artist. His paintings of birds are on dis- 
play now at the Philadelphia Academy 
of Natural Sciences. 



It's The Questionnaire That Counts 



The census taker will not be knocking 
on the farmer's door next year. Instead, 
the 1969 Census of Agriculture will be 
taken by mail. Farmers will receive a 
questionnaire — in January 1970 — which 
he is required by law to fill out and re- 
turn. This census by mail is expected to 
prove cheaper than the "knock-on - 
every-door" method used in earlier 
years. 

In most respects, the 1969 Census and 
what it covers will be comparable to the 
1964 and earlier counts. However, a 
"short" version of the basic question- 
naire has been developed for fai'jners 
who sell less than $2500 worth of farm 



products a year. A second version de- 
signed for farms with larger sales asks 
the same questions but in greater detail. 

The definition of a farm is not 
changed. Places of less than 10 acres 
with 1969 sales of agricultural products 
of at least $250 or places of 10 acres or 
more with sales of at least $50 qualify 
as farms. 

Principal data items for all farms in- 
clude: Total number of farms, acres in 
farms, questions on crops and livestock 
produced, farm machinery and equip- 
ment, chemicals used, operating ex- 
penses, and type of farm organization. 




E. C. WEITZELL 



Weitzell Appointed REA 
Deputy Administrator 

A veteran ca- 
reer employee of 
USDA, Dr. Ever- 
ett C. Weitzell, is 
the new Deputy 
Administrator of 
the Rural Elec- 
trification Ad- 
ministration, ac- 
cording to an 
announcement 
by Secretary 
Clifford M. Har- 
din. 

Dr. Weitzell served in REA from 1947 
to 1961, first as program analyst and 
then as Deputy Assistant Administrator 
for the rural telephone loan program. 
He returns to REA from the Federal 
Extension Service where he served from 
1961 to November 1962 as program 
leader for rural areas development; di- 
rector, division of resource development 
and public affairs, 1963-66: and resource 
development economist, division of com- 
munity resource development, 1966 to 
the present time. 

Dr. Weitzell was born on a farm in 
Garrett County, Md., in 1912. He at- 
tended the University of Maryland 
where he earned a B.S. degree in Agri- 
cultural Education and an M.S. degree 
in Agricultural Economics. In 1936 he 
went to the University of West 'Virginia 
where he supervised specialized research 
projects in cooperation with USDA. Dr. 
Weitzell began study in 1939 as a Rocke- 
feller Fellow at the University of Wis- 
consin, earning his doctorate in Land 
Economics. During World War II he 
served as a lieutenant in the Navy. 



Aslakson Named 
FCiC Manager 

Richard AslaksoTi, 51, from Ray, N. 
Dak., has been designated by Secretary 
Clifford M. Hardin, to serve as Manager 
of the Federal Crop Insurance Corpora- 
tion. 

Aslakson operates a 2,080-acre grain 
and cattle farm near Ray and has held 
numerous State and local public service 
jobs. He has served as chairman of the 
State Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Committee, member of the 
Board of Directors of Williams County 
Electric Cooperative, and director of the 
local Credit Union Board. 

Aslakson was born on a farm at Ray. 
He has been farming for himself since 
1940 when he received a B.A. degree in 
economics and mathematics from Con- 
cordia College, Moorhead, Minn. 



2 




REGIONAL FOREST SERVICE EMPLOYEES, Bertha Koch (left) and Ladene 
Hughes, view some of the art displayed at an exhioit held in the Forest 
Service's Region 1 headquarters. Missoula. Montana. All of the more than 
50 contributions to the highly praised exhibit was the work of Forest Service 



employees in the Missoula area. The show, held the last of December, 
served as a holiday greeting to the artists' fellow workers and to the public 
who visited the well-pjblicized event. The success of the exhibit has led to 
plans for making it an annual affair. 




ANDREW J. MAIR 



Deputy Assistant 
Secretary Appointed 

Secretary Clif- 
ford M. Hardin 
has announced 
appointment o f 
Andrew J. Mair 
as Deputy Assist- 
ant Secretary for 
International Af- 
fairs and Corn- 
mod i t y Pro- 
grams. He will 
serve directly 
under Assistant 
Secretary Clar- 
ence D. Palmby. 

Mair returns to Washington, D.C., 
from Ankara, Turkey, where he has been 
Director of Finance for the Central 
Treaty Organization ( CENTO •. Earlier 
he had served as administrative ofRcer 
in the U.S. Embassies in Kabul, Afghan- 
istan, and Rome, and as agricultural 
attache in The Hague, Netherlands. 

Prior to his foreign service, Mair held 
a number of positions in the Commodity 
Stabilization Service. Included was 
Deputy Administrator of CSS, predeces- 
sor of the Commodity Credit Corpora- 
tion. Before coming to Washington, 
D.C., in 1957, Mair was administrative 
officer of the CSS office in Denver, Colo. 

From 1936 to 1947, Mair owned and 
operated a farm near Fort Collins, Colo. 
He attended Colorado State College, 
Greeley, and holds an economics degree 
from the University of Denver. 

He was born on a farm near Britton, 
S. Dak., and as a child moved with his 
family to Colorado in 1918. 




STEVEN D. DAILEY, an inspector-chemist for 
Consumer and Marketing Service, Chicago, 111., 
recently was honored with a Community Service 
Award from the Chicago Federation of Com- 
munity Committees. He was recognized for "out- 
standing volunteer service for the prevention 
of juvenile delinquency and for the betterment 
of neighboorhod life through self-help efforts of 
its residents." For the past 5 years, Dailey has 
devoted 20 or more hours weekly to work with 
underpriviledged boys in the Ciiicdgo d'ea. 



SRS REPORTS CHANGE 

The Statistical Reporting Service re- 
cently announced several changes in 
publication of reports and data series. 
Four SRS reports are being discontinued 
as a result of program analysis. 

Discontinued reports are: The Rye- 
grass Seed Intentions scheduled for 
March 21; Manufactured Dairy Prod- 
ucts Summary scheduled for February 
24; Weekly American Cheese Warehouse 
Report from Chicago; and Monthly 
Shipments of Stocker and Feeder Cattle 
and Sheep into Selected North Central 
States. 

A report on April 1 Stocks of Grain 
will be issued on April 24. This revokes 
an earlier announcement that the April 
report was being discontinued. 



Milk Moves Many Miles 

If you live in Florida, you may at 
times be drinking fresh milk from a 
Minnesota dairy farm. In fact, milk pro- 
duced somewhere in the Midwest may 
find its way not only to a dinner table 
in the South but also across the moun- 
tains to the West. According to the Con- 
sumer and Marketing Service, milk is 
moving more miles than ever before to 
reach consumers. 

This trend to the "long haul" is the 
result of economic and technological 
changes in the last two decades. With 
improvements in highways and advances 
in refrigerated transportation facilities, 
metropolitan milk markets are no 
longer isolated from major milk-produc- 
ing areas. Bulk tanks, replacing milk 
cans to move milk off the farm, and tank 
trucks, taking milk directly from farms 
to processing plants, are making milk 
handling easier. 

These developments have brought im- 
portant changes to the Federal milk 
marketing order program, according to 
the C&MS Dairy Division. This program 
maintains orderly marketing conditions 
between farmers and milk dealers to as- 
sure consumers a dependable flow of 
fresh milk. 

As milk handlers' distribution and 
procurement areas keep expanding. Fed- 
eral milk orders are becoming more re- 
gional, rather than local, in character. 
Marketing areas are getting larger and 
the number of milk orders, smaller. But 
the smaller number of orders — now 67 
as compared to a peak of 83 in 1962 — 
cover substantially more of the Nation. 
More consumers in more parts of the 
country now buy milk from dealers op- 
erating under Federal orders. 




LAYNE BEATY, Chief, Radio and Television Service (standing left), discusses an "Across the Fence" 
script v^ith WRC-TV director Max Schrndler. Meanwhile Pat Morgan, Head, TV Service of the RaJlo 
and Television Service (left) and guest. Dr. Charles Gunn, ARS scientist, rehearse the positioning of 
poison seed exhibit for the camera. 

Across the Fence Now on 51 Television Stations 



Each week more than 4^2 million 
Americans enjoy a "chat" with USDA 
experts "across the fence." The experts 
get a major assist in this communica- 
tion project from 51 television stations. 
The stations, located in 28 States and 
the District of Columbia (see box), are 
regular users of USDA's 30-minute tele- 
vision program, "Across the Fence." 

The program, now in its eighth year, 
is produced by the Office of Informa- 
tion's Radio and Television Service and 
is taped for USDA in the studios of 
WRC-TV, NBC affiliate in Washington, 
D.C. 

The TV Service staff works closely 
with information representatives from 
USDA agencies in developing program 
ideas which cover a wide range of farm 
and consumer topics. For instance, a re- 
cent "Across the Fence" program in- 
cluded segments on "Poisonous Seeds 
and Plants" with Dr. Charles Gunn, 
taxonomist from the Agricultural Re- 
search Service; "Preparing Leg of Lamb" 
with Sandra Brookover, Consumer and 
Marketing Service; and "Riffle Sifter" 
with Charles Howard, Forest Service. 
The last subject concerns a new machine 
designed to clean up stream beds so 
spawning salmon can lay their eggs. 

Occasionally, one topic may be chosen 
for a "special" such as the recent "Sci- 
ence and the War on Hunger," a descrip- 
tion of efforts by the ARS to develop new 
food resources. 

In addition to "Across the Fence," TV 
Service produces other television ma- 



terials. These include 3 '2 minute video- 
taped news featurettes, films, and slide 
features — all in color. 

Featurette topics are as versatile as 
the subject matter on "Across the 
Fence." They can be used in a variety of 
ways but primarily are played on local 
television shows as feature inserts. Cur- 
rently 280 stations receive these tapes on 
a regular basis. 

To help meet stations' demands for 
more motion pictures, TV Service sup- 
plies films on current USDA projects. 
Booklets listing "USDA Films for Tele- 
vision" are also furnished to stations for 
selection of films available on loan from 
the Department's Motion Picture Serv- 
ice. 

TV Service's slide sets are another ef- 
fective means of reaching the public 
through television, siiaes ana scripts, 
sent on request, enable the local an- 
nouncer to narrate a story and perhaps 
add a local angle. More than 200 sta- 
tions receive a monthly consumer slide 
packet called "TV Home Features." 

The featurettes, the slide sets, and 
the films enable USDA stories to reach 
large numbers of people at a very low 
cost per viewer. Their success can be 
measured by the large volume of mail 
requests from the public for USDA bul- 
letins offered by the programs. 

More and more television sets are 
being sold each week; more TV stations 
are going on the air; more Americans 
are getting their news from television. 



TV Stations Using 
"Across the Fence" 



(Check local station for day and 
time) 



ALABAMA— Birmingham, 'WBRC- 
TV; ARIZONA— Phoenix, KPHO- 
TV; ARKANSAS— Little Rock, 
KATV-TV; CALIFORNIA— Fres- 
no, KJEO-TV; Sacramento, 
KXTV-TV; Sacramento, KCRA- 
TV; San Francisco, KRON-TV; 
San Diego, KFMB-TV; CON- 
NECTICUT— West Hartford, 
WHNB-TV; DISTRICT OF CO- 
LUMBIA— Washington, WRC- 
TV; FLORIDA— Orlando, WSSH- 
TV; Pensacola. WSRE-TV; 
GEORGIA— Atlanta, WQXI-TV; 
ILLINOIS— Rockford, WCEE-TV; 
INDIANA — Indianapolis, WISH- 
TV; Terre Haute, WTWO-TV; 
KENTUCKY— Lexington, WKYT- 
TV; LOUISIANA— Baton Rouge, 
WAFB-TV; New Orleans, WDSU- 
TV; Shreveport, KSLA-TV; MAS- 
SACHUSETTS— Boston, WHDH- 
TV; MICHIGAN— Detroit, WJBK- 
TV; MISSISSIPPI— Jackson, 
WLBT-TV; Tupelo, WTWV-TV; 
MISSOURI— Kansas City, WDAF- 
TV: Springfield, KYTV-TV; 
MONTANA— Billings, KULR- 
TV; NEVADA— Las Vegas, 
KORK-TV; NEW YORK— Buf- 
falo, WKBW-TV; New York, 
WNBC-TV; Rochester, WROC- 
TV; Schenectady, WRGB-TV; 
NORTH CAROLINA— Durham, 
WTVD-TV; OHIO— Cincinnati, 
WKRC-TV; Cleveland, WJW-TV; 
OKLAHOMA— Oklahoma City, 
KOCO-TV; Tulsa, KVOO-TV; 
OREGON— Portland, KATU-TV; 
PENNSYLVANIA — Philadelphia, 
KYW-TV; Philadelphia, WPHL- 
TV; Wilkes Barre, WNEP-TV; 
TEXAS— Beaumont, KBMT-TV; 
Fort Worth, WBAP-TV; Houston, 
KHTV-TV; San Antonio, WOAI-- 
TV; UTAH— Salt Lake City, 
KUTV-TV: Salt Lake City, KCPX- 
TV; VIRGINIA— Roanoke, 
WRFT-TV; WASHINGTON— 
Seattle, KOMO-TV; WEST VIR- 
GINIA— Parkersburg, WTAP-TV; 
Morgantown, WWVU-TV. 



TV Service is attempting to keep pace 
and to provide rural and urban Ameri- 
cans with useful information about 
USDA activities. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



MARCH 27, 1969 

4 



Vol. XXVIII No. 1 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTrNC OFFICE 



as^ 



LJ 



TTTB R A R Y 

RpaeJVEO 

APR 2 1969 
■rrsmLE SRAWCH 



BELTS 





EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL XXVIII NO. 8 
APRIL 10, 1969 




FIFTEEN EAGLE SCOUTS AND EXPLORERS from all regions of the country visited USDA in Washing- 
ton. D.C., recently to express appreciation for the Department's cooperation with Scouting programs 
and to learn firsthand about government operations. The Scouts were greeted for USDA by Kenneth 
E. Grant (center). Administrator of the Soil Conservation Service, and Edward P. Cliff, Chief of the 
Forest Service. On behalf of Secretary Hardin, who was unable to attend the meeting. Grant and 
Cliff accepted a copy of the "1969 Report to the Nation" which the Scouts had presented to President 
Nixon earlier in the day. The Report summarized the activities and achievements of the Boy Scout 
organization during the past year. Decorative paperweights were also given by the Scouts. Grant and 
Cliff presented to each Scout a copy of the 1967 USDA Yearbook. "Outdoors USA." The Eagle Scouts 
and Explorers participating in the "1969 Report to the Nation" activities were selected for their 
outstanding records of achievements and leadership in local and regional Scouting endeavors. One 
of the Scouts, Douglas Ross (not shown), is the son of USDA meat inspector Gordon C. Ross, 
Clarkston. Wash. 



LYNG APPOINTED 
ASSISTANT SECRETARY 

Richard E. Lyng, 50, California Di- 
rectxDr of Agriculture, has been named 
by President Nixon to be Assistant Sec- 
retary of Agriculture for Consumer and 
Marketing Services. 

Born in San Francisco. Lyng was 
reared in Modesto, Calif., and obtained 
a degree in business administration from 
the University of Notre Dame in 1940. 
He worked with his late father in the 
family seed business, serving as com- 
pany president from 1949 to 1966. 

Lyng has been active in business and 
civic affairs for many years. He has 
served as president of several organiza- 
tions, including the California Seed 
Council, California Seed Association, 
Modesto Chamber of Commerce, and 
Modesto Rotary Club. He also has 
worked in the California-Chile foreign 
visitors exchange and assistance pro- 




SECRETARY CLIFFORD M. HARDIN assists 
Wanda Leonard, 7, a Washington, D.C. school 
student, in cutting a flower chain to open a 
Growing With America Festival, held March 20- 
22 in the Patio of the USDA Administration 
Building, Washington, D.C. USDA personnel 
offered a variety of exhibits and scientific dem- 
onstrations on growing plants during the Festival 
celebrating Spring and National Lawn and 
Garden Week. 



Secretary Announces New 
Emphasis on Farm Exports 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin has an- 
nounced agency changes to place new 
emphasis on programs relating to ex- 
ports of farm commodities. Proposed is 
creation of an Export Marketing Serv- 
ice, supervised by a General Sales Man- 
ager, reporting to the Secretary through 
the Assistant Secretary for International 
Affairs and Commodity Programs. 

The Export Marketing Service will 
have the principal responsibility for 
recommending policies and programs to 
maximize exports of agricultural com- 
modities. Particular emphasis will be on 
exports for dollars. Realignment of ex- 
port action functions into one Depart- 
ment agency will facilitate meeting 
competition from other exporting na- 
tions in the world markets. 

The Secretary also announced plans 
to transfer the functions of the Interna- 
tional Agricultural Development Agency 
into the Foreign Agricultural Service. 
The FAS will be the USDA agency pri- 
marily concerned with coordination of 
foreign trade matters, foreign aid, and 
other government-to-government issues. 
This will enable closer Department co- 
ordination with other Federal agencies 
concerned with foreign aid and foreign 
policy. 

The FAS will also report to the Secre- 
tary through the Assistant Secretary 
for International Affairs and Commod- 
ity Programs. 



For success in GROWING GARDEN 
ROSES plant ihem in a site that receives 
at least 6 hours of sunshine daily. Roses 
should be watered frequently, fertilized 
every spring; after the new growth is well 
established and pruned every year. Single 
copies of "Roses for the Home" (HG— 25) 
can be ordered free from the Office of In- 
formation. L'SD.\. \X'ashington. D.C. 
20250. Please order by title and number. 

grams under auspices of the Agency for 
International Development. 

Lyng was named chief deputy director 
of the California Department of Agri- 
culture in 1967 and became director in 
1968. 



ASCS ASSOCIATE 
ADMINISTRATOR NAMED 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin recently 
announced the appointment of Carroll 
G. Brunthaver, Memphis, Tenn., as As- 
sociate Administrator of the Agricul- 
tural Stabilization and Conservation 
Service. 

Born in Fremont, Ohio, in 1932, 
Brunthaver graduated from Ohio State 
University and received a Ph. D. degree 
in agricultural economics in 1960. While 
at the University, he was an assistant 
instructor in the Department of Agri- 
cultural Economics and authored several 
publications resulting from research on 
land retirement — an activity of ASCS 
he will now help direct. 

After serving as Assistant Professor 
of Agricultural Economics at Michigan 
State University, Brunthaver became 
Director of Research for the Grain and 
Feed Dealers National Association, 1961- 
66. In 1966 he became Associate Direc- 
tor of Research of Comco, an affiliate of 
Cook & Co. and Riverside Industries, 
Memphis, Tenn. In these positions, 
Brunthaver engaged in extensive re- 
search and study of farm and price 
activities. 

Brunthaver served in the Air Force 
from 1954-57, the last year as com- 
mander of the Wright Patterson Air 
Force Base Radar Approach Control 
Center. 



Byerly Is Assistant Director 
Of Science and Education 

Secretary Clif- 
ford M. Hardin 
recently an- 
nounced ap- 
pointment of Dr. 
Theodore C. 
Byerly to the 
newly created 
position of As- 
sistant Director 
of Science and 
Education. A 
career official 
with 36 years 
service with the Department, Dr. Byerly 
has been Administrator of the Coopera- 
tive State Research Service since 1962. 
Born in Melbourne, Iowa, Dr. Byerly 
graduated from the University of Iowa 
in 1923 and received his doctorate there 
in 1926. He taught zoology at the Uni- 
versity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and 
later at Hunter College, New York City, 
before joining USDA in 1929 as a physi- 
ologist in the old Bureau of Animal In- 
dustry. He has been with the Department 




DR. T. C. BYERLY 



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PESTiCiDES for 

Lawn Care? 
FIRST remove people 
and pets 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



NEW AND OLD TOP BRASS 
of the Intermountain Vet- 
erinary Medical Association 
look over the list of 1969- 
70 committee assignments. 
Dr. Donald Miller (left), 
Springfield, Va., was elected 
president at the 41st an- 
nual meeting of the Associa- 
tion in Las Vegas, Nev., 
recently. Dr. Don Shaffner, 
Dillon, Mont., the outgoing 
president, turned over the 
gavel to Miller who is as- 
sistant director for Western 
Field Operations, Animal 
Health Division, Agricultural 
Research Service. Shaffner 
is in private practice. 



CARL B. BARNES, right. 
Director of Personnel for 
the Department, receives 
an award from John F. 
Griner, National President 
of the American Federation 
of Government Employees. 
The award, for Barnes' out- 
standing contributions to 
the Employee-Management 
Cooperation Program, was 
presented at the AFGE Na- 
tional Convention in Las 
Vegas, Nevada. 



Training Center Planned 

A Consumer Protection Training Cen- 
ter, stressing courses in poultry slaugh- 
ter inspection, is planned for Gaines- 
ville, Ga., according to the Consumer 
and Marketing Service. 

New Federal food inspectors and vet- 
erinarians initially assigned to poultry 
plants will train at the Center. State 
personnel will also be trained as part of 
the implementation of the Wholesome 
Poultry Products Act. 

This training is now done at 26 loca- 
tions. The new Center will provide more 
uniformity and economy in training in- 
spectors, C&MS said. 

Four other training centers are in 
operation. Courses in processed food in- 
spection and slaughter inspection of red 
meat animals are given in Fort Worth, 
Los Angeles, Omaha, and St. Paul. 




since then except for a 4-year period 
when he was a professor of poultry 
husbandry at the University of Main- 
land. 

In 1954 he served as chairman of the 
U.S. Delegation to the 10th World Poul- 



try Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland, and 
in 1962, as chairman of the National 
Research Council's division of biology 
and agriculture — the first time a USDA 
scientist had been selected to chair the 
division. 



YOUNG ARS SCIENTIST 
PRAISES WORKING FOR USDA 

Less than 4 years after he joined the 
Agricultural Research Service as an as- 
sistant research soil scientist, Richard 
Smiley was written up in two national 
agricultural journals. 

That's quite a record for a young man 
who graduated with a B.S. degree in 
1965 from California State Polytechnic 
College. It's even more remarkable be- 
cause he had no idea of going into re- 
search until a month before graduation 
when he talked to an ARS recruiter. 

Smiley is happy with his career and 
even happier with the opportunities he 
sees in his future. He makes note of 
these opportunities in an article he wrote 
for The Soil Auger, a student magazine 
published by the soil science department 
of Cal Poly at San Luis Obispo: 

"One can expect to be exposed to 
many new and exciting phases of agri- 
culture in the Soil and Water Conserva- 
tion Research Division of ARS. I'm sta- 
tioned at the Palouse Conservation Field 
Station at Pullman, "Wash., where there 
are more than a dozen different research 
projects under investigation. 

"I was encouraged to enroll in classes 
to become better trained for my work. 
It has taken me 3 years to earn an M.S. 
degree but my income was at least twice 
the salary available through assistant- 
ships or fellowships. 

"At Pullman, in addition to my re- 
quired duties, I developed an individual 
interest in the use of anhydrous am- 
monia fertilizer for control of soil-borne 
diseases. I was given permission to test 
my theories, a rare opportunity for an 
employee with only a B.S." 

Smiley's research has received much 
attention because it has the appearance 
of being successful in providing control 
of some plant diseases by using modified 
application techniques for commonly 
used fertilizers. His work was reviewed 
in Farm Journal and appears in the 
January issue of Agricultural Research. 
Technical articles will soon appear in 
the scientific press. 

Speaking to Cal Poly undergraduates. 
Smiley writes, "I had planned on being 
employed by a fertilizer dealer so I didn't 
take any 'hard courses' as electives. The 
result was having to take many extra 
classes to make up graduate school 
requirements. 

"I suggest that anyone having rea- 
sonably good grades should take as 
many courses in the basic sciences and 
supporting fields as possible. Remem- 
ber — you may also want to change your 
plans and it is always easier to step 
down than scramble frantically upward 
for survival in any profession." 




RICHARD SMILEY OPERATES an anhydrous 
ammonia applicator which he designed for field 
injections of ammonia. 



New ASCS Area Directors Named 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin recently 
announced the appointment of three 
new area directors for the Agricultural 
Stabilization and Conservation Service. 
They are Claude L. Greene, Roberson- 
ville, N.C.; James P. Jones, Ki'ess, Tex.; 
and Howard V/aters, Danville. Iowa. 

The new directors, all active farmers, 
will be headquartered in "Washington, 
D.C. They will have general supervision 
of farm action programs carried out by 
the ASCS in their assigned areas. 

As director for the Southeast area, 
Greene will supervise farm programs in 
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, 
Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, 
South Carolina, Tennessee, and "Virginia. 

For the Southwest area, Jones will co- 
ordinate program activities in Arizona, 
California, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, 
Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, 
and "Utah. 

"Waters will supervise farm program 
activities in the Midwest area including 
Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Illi- 
nois, Indiana, and "Wisconsin. 

Directors for the Northeast and 
Northwest areas will be announced later. 



Kuhl Is New Agricultural Attache 

Jerome M. Kuhl is the new agricul- 
tural attache at the U.S. Embassy in 
Djakarta, Indonesia. He replaces John 
W. Anderson who has been reassigned. 

Kuhl joined the Foreign Agricultural 
Service in 1959 as assistant agricultural 
attache in Caracas, "Venezuela, and has 
served as agricultural attache in San- 
tiago, Chile, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

He was an economic officer with the 
Department of State from 1952-54 in 
Luanda, Angola, and later was assistant 
to the president of an import-manufac- 
turing company there. For the past year 



Students To Exhibit 
At 12th Annual Science Fair 

More than 50 high school students 
will exhibit their prize-winning science 
projects at the 12th Annual USDA- 
OPEDA Youth Science Fair scheduled 
for April 25. The Fair will be held in the 
Administration Building, Plant Industry 
Station, Agricultural Research Center, 
Beltsville, Md. 

Participants will be chosen by USDA 
teams of judges from five "Washington, 
D.C. -area school science fairs being held 
during March and April. 

The Organization of Professional Em- 
ployees of the Department of Agricul- 
ture I OPEDA I cooperates annually with 
the Department in staging the event. 

Each student will receive a special 
Certificate of Merit at opening ceremo- 
nies at 9:00 a.m. Fair activities also in- 
clude a luncheon for the students, their 
families, and their guests. 

The exhibits will be open to the public 
from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Special 
buses will be provided for visitors to 
tour the Department's extensive farm, 
crop, and animal experimental facilities 
at Beltsville. 



New System Speeds Up 
Retirement Claims 

Procedures designed to speed up proc- 
essing Civil Service retirement claims 
are now in effect, according to a recent 
Civil Service Commission report. 

Federal agencies are now authorized 
to submit optional or mandatory retire- 
ment applications and necessary records 
to the CSC 6 weeks in advance of an 
employee's retirement date. The new 
system permits the CSC to verify em- 
ployment records and compute annuity 
while the employee is still on the pay 
roll, and to notify the Treasury Depart- 
ment to schedule payment of the first 
annuity check when due. 

Under previous procedures for non- 
disability retirement, agencies submitted 
applications after the retiring employee 
had received his last pay check. In some 
cases the time lapse has delayed receipt 
of the first annuity check by one or two 
months. 

The new system calls for agencies to 
confirm that employee separation ac- 
tually took place no later than 5 days 
after the employee's final pay date. 

Agencies are also request-ed to estab- 
lish a similar procedure for submission 
of records needed to pay lump sum re- 
fund claims. 

Kuhl has been a staff economist in the 
Oflice of the Secretary of Agriculture. 



3 



Students Work and Learn 
Under the Jan Plan ' 

Three chemistry students from Lin- 
coln University, Oxford, Pa., worked for 
the Agricultural Research Service dur- 
ing January instead of attending their 
usual classes. 

The three — Vivica Fitzpatrick, Leona 
Scott, and Vincent Pearson — are taking 
part in the first work-study program 
arranged between ARS and a university 
with a predominant enrollment of mi- 
nority group members. 

The cooperative arrangement, nick- 
named the "Jan Plan," provides for 
students to work at the Eastern Utiliza- 
tion Research and Development Division 
in Wyndmoor, Pa., during January and 
in the summer. 

Miss Fitzpatrick, of Ashland, Ky., is 
a premedical student who is interested 
in a career in pathology or surgery. Last 
summer she worked with Dr. William 
G. Gordon of the Eastern division's 
Milk Properties Laboratory on a tech- 
nique to identify and analyze proteins. 
In January she worked with Dr. Robert 
E. Townend, doing research on a milk 
protein known as beta-lactoglobulin. 

Interested in a career in analytical 
chemistry. Miss Scott received valuable 
research experience on nitrogen fi-om 



ASC State Committeemen Named 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin recently 
announced appointment of new chair- 
men and members of three Agricultural 
Stabilization and Conservation (ASC) 
State Committees. The appointments 
fill vacancies caused by resignations of 
former committeemen in Iowa, Arizona, 
and Texas. 

The new appointees are: 

Iowa — Leo7i Werner of Van Home, 
Chairman, and Milo Lee of Inwood and 
H. K. Russell of Bedford, committeemen. 

Arizona — Joe A. Sheely of ToUeson, 
Chairman, and Wilbur H. Wuertz of 
Casa Grande and Arden J. Palmer of 
Thatcher, committeemen. 

Texas — Clarence A. Danklefs of 
Rosenberg, Chairman, and Charles L. 
Calhoun of Fabens, Frank H. Hinkson 
of Muleshoe, and John B. Rudd of 
Waskom, committeemen. 



"Food Guide for Older Folks," a new 
USDA bulletin, tells about OLDER PEO- 
PLE'S FOOD NEEDS and how to meet 
them. Single copies of the bulletin can be 
obtained free upon request to: Office of 
Information, USDA, Washington, D.C. 
20250. 




VINCENT PEARSON (right), Lincoln University student, discusses a research project with Dr. Leo 
Kahn, ARS chemist at the Eastern Utilization Research and Development Division. 



Dr. Clyde L. Ogg, Plant Products Labo- 
ratory. Last summer Miss Scott did re- 
search in sociology as she worked on a 
survey in Pittsburgh for the Mayor's 
Committee on Human Resources. 

Pearson served as business manager 
for Dig This, a monthly teenage news- 



paper, before entering Lincoln Univer- 
sity last fall. At the Physical Chemistry 
Laboratory, Pearson made a study that 
may lead to a quicker and more accurate 
assay method for collagen, the protein 
component of animal hide. He was su- 
pervised at the lab by Dr. Leo D. Kahn. 




THOUSANDS OF DEER, game birds, water fowl, and other wildlife were saved from starvation this 
year through the cooperation of USDA, Department of the Interior, State conservation agencies, 
farmers, sportsmen, and other conservationists. An unusually severe winter endangered much of the 
wildlife in northern States. The USDA contribution was more than 205,000 bushels of Commodity 
Credit Corporation-owned feed grains provided free of charge to State conservation agencies and 
the Department of the Interior for feeding wildlife. Expenses for moving the grain from CCC storage 
sites and distributing it were borne by the authorized agencies and volunteers aiding these agencies. 
State conservation agencies obtaining the grain included Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South 
Dakota, and Washington. In addition, the Department of the Interior distributed CCC grain on water 
fowl and migratory bird refuges in Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington. Above, hungry 
deer appreciate a good meal of CCC-donated grain on a cold winter's day in Michigan. Conservation- 
interested citizens aiding the State agencies drove many miles to pick up the feed and distribute it 
in scattered areas accessible to the wildlife. In many cases, snowmobiles were used for distribution. 
Besides helping distribute the CCC-donated grain, many farmers provided feed from their own farms 
and also cut browse for the animals. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



APRIL 10, 1969 

4 



Vol. XXVIII No. 8 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INP, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



U S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



0^ 



RCOKIVED 

MAY 91969 

BtLTSVlLLE BRANCH 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL XXVIII NO, 9 
APRIL 24, 1969 



NAL To Move in May 

The National Agricultural Library 
will move to its new home at Beltsville, 
Md., in May. 

The Director of the Library, John 
Sherrod, has expressed the hope that 
the transfer can be accomplished with- 
out undue interruption of normal library 
operations. However, relocation of the 
Library's immense collections will entail 
unavoidable problems and delays in 
service. 

While the move is actually in progress, 
reference and lending services will be 
provided insofar as possible by the Li- 
brary's Beltsville Branch to Department 
personnel only. Service from the main 
Library collection will be drastically cur- 
tailed. 

Library spokesmen asked that all re- 
quests be placed well in advance of May 
1. After that date, all publications are 
to be returned to: National Agricultural 
Library, Beltsville, Md. 20705. 

Pull service will resume at the Belts- 
ville address as soon as possible after 
June 1. 



Complex Farm Problems 
Handled by Computers 

Two thousand Northeast farmers 
recently saw a graphic demonstration of 
how a computer can help them make 
management decisions. The demonstra- 
tion was given at the Eastern Potato 
Industry E.xposition, held in Harrisburg, 
Pa. 

Pennsylvania Extension agents alerted 
farmers attending the exposition to 
bring along information about the cost 
of their tractors, potato harvesters, and 
other machinery. Specialists fed this 
information into a field terminal wired 
to computers at USDA's "Washington 
Data Processing Center. 

The farmers quickly got back the cost 
per hour and per unit of production for 
their present machinery — and other ma- 
chines they might want to buy or trade. 

The demonstration was a joint effort 
of the Federal Extension Service and 




MR. COST REDUCTION. USDA 
^ -> For April 1969 ^ it 

TO CHANGE OR NOT TO CHANGE . . . changing 
antifreeze In vehicles without checking the need 
wastes money. Not changing in time could waste 
engines. John A. LIvermore (right), procurement 
officer with the Soil Conservation Service in Salt 
Lake City, read about a corrosion meter that 
could reduce engine maintenance costs. Bennur 
C. Hatch (left), inspecting mechanic, used the 
meter to test half the SCS fleet in Utah. Nine 
vehicles showed excess acid and corrosion in the 
cooling system and needed flushing sooner than 
the usual 2-year schedule. Potential expensive 
overhauls and cooling system or engine troubles 
were thereby prevented. Another 10 vehicles 
didn't need the change after 2 years — saving 
needless purchase of coolant and cost of flush- 
ing. Potential savings from use of this meter are 
estimated at more than $5 per vehicle per year. 
Livermore and his collaborator Hatch suggested 
use of the meter for all government vehicles. 
These men received letters of commendation 
from Secretary Hardin. Cash awards are pending 
adoption of the idea by other agencies. This is 
one of several money saving ideas appearing in 
a recent issue of "Cost Cutting Tips," published 
by the Office of Plant and Operations. Read these 
yellow and black bulletins. They are printed to 
help you do your job more economically. If you 
can use this idea in your automotive mainte- 
nance program, be sure to contact your Em- 
ployee Suggestions Coordinator. How about 
sharing your good ideas? They could pay off. 
You may earn extra cash — and be honored as 
Cost Reducer of the Month. 



Extension Combats 
Hard-To-Reach Hunger 

The Cooperative Extension Service has 
launched a massive attack against the 
hunger that stalks the Nation's poor. 

The Expanded Food and Nutrition 
Education Program, activated by Ex- 
tension in ail 50 States, Puerto Rico, 
the "Virgin Islands, and the District of 
Columbia, is helping nearly 200,000 low- 
income families improve their diets. Cur- 
renty, the program is operating in 673 
areas — 199 urban and 473 rural. 

Some Americans are malnourished, 
even in the midst of our national abun- 
dance, simply because they lack food: 
many others, because they lack the 
knowledge to achieve adequate diets 
from food that is available to them. 
One-third of all families with an annual 
income under $3,000 have diets rated as 
"poor." 

Experience shows that personal home 
visits and "word-of-mouth" communi- 
cations are needed to help the hardest 
to reach families. 

About 5,500 program aides, trained 
by Extension home economists, are being 
recruited to work in their home areas, 
where they understand the people, their 
needs, and their problems. 

These aides visit needy families to 
show homemakers how to get the most 
food value for their money or their food 
stamps, and how- to prepare nutritionally 
complete meals from these foods and 
from donated foods. 

Pood and nutrition are interrelated 
with many other family problems. Aides 
often must help poor families learn bet- 
ter management of their limited re- 
sources and guide these families to other 
services they need. 



the Statistical Reporting Service, and 
the Pennsylvania, 'Virginia, Maine, and 
Massachusetts State Land-Grant Uni- 
versities. 

The modern Center computers can 
handle questions — 60 at a time — faster 
than man can ask them. Properly loaded 
computers can give answers on machin- 
ery alternatives, cropping patterns, and 
other complex farm management prob- 
lems in minutes instead of days. 



Most State Extension Services have 
electronic data processing projects un- 
derway in cooperation with business and 
other agencies. They are aimed at help- 
ing farmers use computers to speed up 
analysis of their farm records and man- 
agemeirt alternatives. 

This demonstration is part of the 
search for ways to make local terminals 
tied to central data centers easily ac- 
cessible to farmers. 




For Your Information 



DR. ODETTE SHOTWELL displays the award cer- 
tificate she received as one of 10 finalists as 
the Outstanding Handicapped Federal Employee 
of the Year, a new award sponsored by the Civil 
Service Commission. Dr. Shotwell, USDA's 
nominee for the award, is a research chemist 
with the Northern Utilization Research and De- 
velopment Division, Agricultural Research Serv- 
ice, Peoria, III. Commissioner Robert E. Hamp- 
ton (right). Civil Service Commission, presented 
the certificate to Dr. Shotwell and the other 
finalists in ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on 
March 25. Dr. S. R. Hoover, Assistant Deputy 
Administrator, ARS, is on the left. Katherine 
A. Niemeyer, Chief Dietitian, Veterans Adminis- 
tration Restoration Center Hospital, East Orange, 
N.J., was named as Outstanding Handicapped 
Federal Employee of the Year. 



Professor To Deliver 
Morrison Memorial Lecture 

Patrick Horshrugh. Professor of Archi- 
tecture at Notre Dame University, Notre 
Dame, Ind., will give the second B. Y. 
Morrison Memorial Lecture June 3, in 
Cleveland, Ohio. 

The lecture, to be delivered before the 
national annual convention of the Gen- 
eral Federation of Women's Clubs, is 
sponsored by the Agricultural Research 
Service. It honors B. Y. Morrison (1891- 
1966), the first director of USDA's Na- 
tional Arboretum and creator of the 
famed Glenn Dale azaleas. 

Lecturers are nominated by represent- 
atives of botanical and horticultural so- 
cieties, and education, conservation, park, 
recreation, and wildlife associations. 
They are chosen for outstanding con- 
tributions to ornamental horticulture 
and to the preservation or enhancement 
of man's environment. Mrs. Lyndon B. 
Johnson spoke at the first B. Y. Morrison 
Memorial Lecture. 

Horsbrugh, an international figure in 
environmental planning and design, 
created and developed Noti-e Dame's 
Graduate Program in Environic Studies 
at Notre Dame. 

His nomination describes him as a 
man who embraces the fields of archi- 
tecture, landscape architecture, urban 
planning, and segments of the field of 
engineering in the pursuit of his objec- 
tives. 



Bulletin boards built by the local Soil 
and Water Conservation District and 
holding the latest information about 
Federal agricultural and State conser- 
vation programs have been placed in 
several rural stores in northeast Min- 
nesota. These rural information centers 
are maintained by personnel of the Soil 
Conservation Service, Agricultural Sta- 
bilization and Conservation Service, 
Farmers Home Administration, and the 
Division of Lands and Forestry of the 
Minnesota Conservation Department. 

Participating agencies credit this joint 
endeavor to "good relations between 
agencies created by sitting together on 
Technical Action Panels." 

Another joint effort is a locally pro- 
duced T'V program with coverage over 
northeast Minnesota, northern Wiscon- 
sin, and Michigan. 




USDA AND STATE agency representatives ex- 
amine some of the information materials from 
a bulletin board soon to be placed in a rural 
store in northeast Minnesota. Left to right are: 
Jon Hedman, ASCS; John Rydberg, FHA; Gerald 
Murphy, Minnesota Conservation Department; 
and Herbert R. Boe. SCS. 



Frick Designated 
ASCS Administrator 

Kenneth E. Frick, 48-year-old Cali- 
fornia farmer, has been appointed Ad- 
ministrator of the Agricultural Stabili- 
zation and Conservation Service. The 
announcement was made recently by 
Secretary Clifford M. Hardin. 

Born in Bakersfield, Calif., Frick 
graduated from the University of Cali- 
fornia in 1941 with a B.S. degree in agri- 
cultural economics. He served in the Air 
Force from 1941 to 1945. 

Frick became a farmer in Kern County, 
Calif., on his discharge and with his wife 
now owns and operates the 2,175-acre 
farm. He lives in Arvin. 

Frick is a member of a number of farm 
and cooperative organizations and a for- 
mer board member of the Arvin Unified 
School District. For 3 years, starting in 
1958, he was a member of the California 
ASC Committee. Before that he served 
4 years on the County Committee. 







SPRINGFIELD ESTATES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 
students in Springfield, Va., eat lunch in their 
Cafe of the Three Seasons, which was built in 
the cafeteria for students who display particu- 
larly nice table manners and behavior. Students 
built the simulated cafe with the help of local 
high school students, school personnel, and 
parents. 

A SCHOOL LUNCH 
FOR ALL SEASONS 

Not just anyone can have lunch at 
the Cafe of the Three Seasons in Spring- 
field, "Va., even though a completely nu- 
tritious lunch costs only 35 cents. 

The cosmopolitan cafe is a very ex- 
clusive place where table etiquette and 
seasonal decor get unusual emphasis. 
Only the 960 students at Springfield 
Estates Elementary School can get "res- 
ervations" at this little noon spot. 

There really isn't any difference be- 
tween the Springfield Estates School 
Lunch Program and those of most other 
schools in the country. Like other schools 
participating in the National School 
Lunch Program, Springfield Estates pro- 
vides nutritious meals at a low cost 
and tries to make lunch time an edu- 
cational process for the children. But the 
imaginative approach used to liven up 
the cafeteria and to make it a training 
ground for better table, manners, brings 
a new dimension to school lunches. 



AW, HEX! 

Mamey apples, okra, sweet potatoes, 
mangoes, guavas, and pigeon peas were 
some of the items seized by Plant Quar- 
antine Inspector M. D. South from the 
luggage of a lady arriving at the San 
Juan, Puerto Rico, airport. The passen- 
ger reciprocated by advising Inspector 
South she was putting a voodoo hex on 
him. Thirty minutes later, the Inspector 
injured his knee and was unable to walk 
for a short time. 



Visiting Forester Braced 
For Wintery Tour 

The record snowfalls and sub-zero 
temperatures which greeted Keizo 
Yaj7iazaki on his recent tour of USDA 
forestry offices across the northern half 
of the United States, served to make him 
feel right at home. 

Keizo Yamazaki is assistant chief of 
forest planning on Japan's northern 
island of Hokkaido, a place of severe 
winters and site of the 1972 Winter 
Olympics. The purpose of his tour in 
the United States was to study forest 
adm.inistration by State and Federal 
agencies. His itinerary included the For- 
est Service's offices in Washington, D.C., 
and Milwaukee, Wise, and the North 
Central Experiment Station in St. Paul. 
Minn . 

Since Minnesota's winter was clearly 
no hardship for a visitor from such a 
snowy place, Yamazaki took time to visit 
two field units of the North Central 
Station, located in the northern part of 
the State. He saw the results of good 
forest management on a stand of mag- 
nificent pines; he snowshoed across a 
frozen lake to see a bald eagle's nest 
in a red pine; he watched skiers and 
snowmobilers enjoying the slopes at a 
winter recreation resort; and he visited 
the Station's Northern Conifer Labora- 
tory to learn how bog research related to 
watershed management. 

At the Station's Duluth field unit, 
Yamazaki heard personnel explain forest 
products marketing and utilization stud- 
ies, plus their analysis of the increas- 
ing use of second, or "vacation," homes 
in the Lake States. 

Now back in Japan, Yamazaki will try 
to apply those forestry techniques he saw 
in the U.S. that may answer some of 
his country's forest problems. 




JAPANESE FORESTER Keizo Yamazaki (right) 
waits his turn to try estimating the height of 65- 
year-old red pines with a Haga altimeter. Re- 
search forester John Benzie of the Northern 
Conifer Laboratory shows him how it is done 
American style. This was Yamazaki's first ex- 
perience on showshoes. In Japan foresters travel 
on skis during winter fieldwork. 




PERSONNEL OF THE New Orleans Commodity Office (NOCO) of the Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service recently cooperated with the New Orleans Post Office in Operation Pre-Sort. 
NOCO completed the mailing of 1,333,199 pieces of Airlift Sectional Center-designated mail In SVi 
days. They used labels, racks, trays, and pouches furnished by the Post Office and an ASCS vehicle 
to transport the processed 230 pouches of mail to the Post Office. The Regional Post Office estimated 
that presorting by NOCO is worth $766 per 150,000 pieces of mail to the Post Office Department. 

POSTHUMOUS AWARD HONORS RECORD SERVICE 

A 35-Year Service Pin was presented 
to the wife and son of the late Ralph 
Bergvian in a recent ceremony at the 
Colorado Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service State Office, Den- 
ver. The award and ceremony paid trib- 
ute to Bergman's continuous and dedi- 
cated service as a member and chairman 
of tlie Adams County, Colo., ASC Com- 
mittee. 

Bergman owned and operated a farm 
in Adams County and a cattle ranch in 
Larimer County. His service to agri- 
culture began in the early 30's when he 
was elected an Adams County Com- 
mitteeman during the "Corn-Hog Days." 
He was elected continuously until his 
death in the fall of 1968. Bergman died 
as a result of injuries suffered in a jeep 
accident wliile inspecting cattle on his 
ranch in northern Colorado. 

This continuous service of more than 
35 years may have established a national 




record for an elected county ASC com- 
mitteeman. 

Mrs. Bergman and son Robert, former 
State Executive Director of the Colo- 
rado ASCS Office, continue to operate 
the family farm and ranch holdings. 



Haspray Appointed to FHA 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin has ap- 
pointed Joseph Haspray as Deputy Ad- 
ministrator of the Farmers Home Ad- 
ministration. Haspray has been Acting 
Deputy Administrator since March 17. 

Haspray, a career USDA employee, as- 
sumes his new position following 3 years 
as Director of tlie Office of Management 
Improvement. In that post, he was re- 
sponsible for the development of a De- 
partment-wide automated data process- 
ing program. 

Considered an expert in computer 
management, Haspray was in charge of 
USDA's Management Data Service Cen- 
ter In New Orleans, La. 



.Approximately 2,900 visitors viewed 
flower. \ef:etable. and lawn exhibits and 
watched plant firowinj; demonstrations at 
the GROWING W ITH .\MKRIC A FESTI- 
V.\I.. March 20-22. The Festival cele- 
brated National Lawn and Garden W eek 
and the start of .*<prinjr. 



Earlier Haspray held top posts for 
USDA throughout the country, admin- 
istering price support and inventory 
management programs on a regional 
level. He served as Assistant Director of 
the Minneapolis Commodity Office from 
1950 to 1953, and as director of the 
Chicago office of the Agricultural Sta- 
bilization and Conservation Service from 
1953 to 1965. 



3 



APPOINTMENTS 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin recently 
named new committeemen to six Agri- 
cultural Stabilization and Conservation 
State Committees. The appointees and 
their hometowns are as follows: 

ILLINOIS: Kenneth T. Benjamin, 
Bloomington; Milton M. Hartman, 
Mounds; and Glenn S. Randall, Chris- 
man. 

SOUTH CAROLINA: Marshall J. Par- 
ker, Seneca; Fred Connor, Jr., Eutaw- 
ville; LeRoy S. Epps, Jr., Greeley ville; 
J. P. Hodges, Bennettsville; and John A. 
Arant, Pageland. 

COLORADO: Leo Sommerville, Fru- 
ita; Roy Inouye, LaJara; and Robert B. 
Grauberger, Haxtun. 

NEW MEXICO: John R. Hadley, T^- 
ico; Hollis E. Gary, Rincon; and Jee D. 
Montoya, Ocate. f 

SOUTH DAKOTA: Robert G. Hoff- 
man, Rockham ; Edwin T. Rudd, Colman : 
and Donald K. Howe, McLaughlin. 

NORTH DAKOTA: Gordon L. Myer, 
Pillsbury; William L. Grandy, St. Thom- 
as; and Howard W. Hardy, Beach. 

DR. ARTHUR I. MORGAN, Jr., prize- 
winning chemical engineer, was recently 
named Director of the Western Utiliza- 
tion Research and Development Division, 
Agricultural Research Service, Albany, 
CaUf. 

Dr. Morgan, 45, was born and educated 
in Berkeley, Calif. Since 1952 he has been 
employed at the USDA laboratory as 
research chemical engineer, investigation 
head, and since 1962, chief of Engineer- 
ing and Development Laboratory. He is 
a lecturer in chemical engineering at 
the University of California, Berkeley, 
and an instructor in oceanography at 
the Naval Reserve Officer's School. 
Treasure Island. 

He has received a number of awards 
for his inventions of processes related to 
food preservation. 

WILLIAM R. HATCH was recently ap- 
pointed as agricultural attache on the 
staff of the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria. 
Republic of South Africa. He replaces 
Harry R. Varney who is transferring 
to Ankara, Turkey, as agricultural atta- 
che. 

Hatch joined the Foreign Agricultural 
Service in 1955. He has previously served 
as agricultural attache in Iran, Ireland, 
Kenya, and Australia. Since 1967 he has 
been a marketing specialist with FAS' 
Livestock and Meat Products Division. 

Hatch was born in Heber City. Utah, 




HEAVY SNOWS IN THE MIDWEST this winter were welcome news to at least one feed grain reporter 
whose job was to measure farm fields for the Floyd County, Iowa, ASCS Office. Lloyd Hoppe used a 
snowmobile and snowshoes to 'premeasure' fields for farmers signing up in the feed grain program. 
When fields are measured and staked before planting, farmers have the certainty of knowing they 
are iri"compliance with USDA farm programs. This service, offered by ASCS county offices at a nominal 
cost, usually means the reporter uses a pickup truck to get to the farm, then hikes across fields, 
sometimes getting stuck in mud or snow. It takes a lot of time. But this year Hoppe zipped across 
country in his snowmobile and trekked the measurement lines on snowshoes. He 'pre-measured' 
about 100 farms this year, twice as many as he did last year. Above, Iowa farmer Ed Exiine takes 
over control of the snowmobile, while Hoppe, on snowshoes, prepares to 'pre-measure' farm fields. 



and reared in Idaho. Before joining 
USDA he spent 15 years operating the 
farm he owns near Idaho Falls, Idaho. 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin recently 
announced the appointment of ELVIN 
J. PERSON, 57, a farmer and business- 
man from Big Lake, Mimi., as North- 
west Area Director for the Agricultural 
Stabilization and Conservation Service. 

In his new position. Person will be 
headquartered in Washington, D.C., and 
will have general supervision of farm 
programs administered by ASCS in the 
designated States of the Northwest Area. 
These include: Alaska, Idaho, Minnesota, 
Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ore- 
gon, South Dakota, Washington, and 
Wyoming. 

Appointment of CLYDE W. GRAHAM 
to head the work of the Soil Conserva- 
tion Service in Texas was announced 
recently by Administrator Kemieth E. 
Grant. Graham succeeds the late H. N. 
Smith as State Conservationist of the 
agency at Temple, Tex. Currently, Gra- 
ham is director of SCS' Watershed Plan- 
ning Division, Washington, D.C. 

A native Texan, Graham joined SCS 
in 1946 as a field engineer in Texas. He 
held field jobs in several Texas locales 



Ag Science: More Than Farming 

What does agricultural science mean 
to you and me? A new USDA bulletin, 
"Imprint on Living," answers the ques- 
tion. 

Written for the nonfarm audience, the 
48-page booklet tells what scientists — 
especially those who work with the Ag- 
ricultural Research Service — are doing 
to assure food supplies, safeguard health 
and the environment, lower costs, im- 
prove clothing and homes, and preserve 
natural resources. 

The wide range of subjects are eye 
openers for those who think agriculture 
is only farming. For young people con- 
cerned about the future of our planet, 
the subjects could provide leads to mean- 
ingful careers. 

Copies of the publication (Agriculture 
Information Bulletin 330) are available 
for $L25 each from: Superintendent of 
Documents, Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D.C. 20402. 

before coming to Washington in 1954 as 
a budget analyst with SCS. He returned 
to Texas in 1958, serving as Assistant 
State Conservationist for Watersheds 
and later as Deputy State Conservation- 
ist from 1964 to 1966. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

APRIL 24, 1969 Vol. XXVIII No, 9 



USDA is pubUshed fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of tlie public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43 — 339-305 us. government printing OFFICE 



I 



MAY 2 6 1969 



rfi'ts;VIILE BRANCH 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVI! 
MAY 8, 



NO. 10 
1 969 



Food Stamp Program Goes Multilingual 



Something new has come to old Chhia- 
town — and to Alaska from Bistol Bay to 
the Seward Peninsula, to Gogebic and 
Houghton counties, Mich., and to U.S. 
communities where Spanish-speaking 
Americans live. 

The something new is official food lists 
that give a few simple rules in one of five 
different languages to persons taking 
part in the Food Stamp Program. There 
are now lists in Chinese, the Yupik dia- 
lect of the Eskimo language, Finnish, 
and Spanish, as well as English. 

The multilingual food lists help the 
Consumer and Marketing Service reach 
people who may need food assistance in 
more than 1,200 food stamp counties and 
cities in 43 States and the District of 
Columbia. 

The food stamp office in Ironwood, 
Mich., reports that 75 percent of the 
population in Gogebic and Houghton 
counties are of Finnish descent. Many 
others of this nationality live in the Da- 
kotas, northern Minnesota, Oregon, 



Washington, New Hampshire, Massa- 
chusetts, and Ohio. Chinese and Span- 
ish-speaking Americans are almost as 
ubiquitous as the English-speaking 
variety. 

Along the west coast of Alaska non- 
speakers of Eskimo dialects can recog- 
nize the Yupik list because it has capital 
letters in the middle of words. The 
translator, Mrs. Martha Teeluk of Nome, 
Alaska, says such capitalized letters 
have a sound of their own that cannot 
be indicated in any other way. That is 
also the reason that Yupik sentences do 
not start with capitals. For the English 
word "coupon," Mrs. Teeluk used the 
Yupik "neqkat," literally "play money." 
"Neqkat" however, is universally used 
in the area to make distinctions between 
currency and other negotiable papers. 
Other Eskimo dialects that may find 
their way onto the official lists are Atlia- 
pascan, Aleut, Haida, and Thlingit. 

Lastest figures show that 2.9 million 
persons across the Nation take part in 




MEMBERS OF THE 1969 Honor Awards Committee met in March with Secretary Hardin to recommend 
to him recipients for the Distinguished and Superior Service Awards. The awards will be presented to 
USDA employees at the 23d Annual Honor Awards Ceremony on May 20. Discussing the awards with 
the Secretary are committee members (left to right): Chairman Howard W. Hjort, Director, Planning 
Evaluation and Programming Staff, USDA; Dr. Frederick N. Andrews, Vice-President for Research, 
Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind.; the Honorable Roy Freeland, Secretary, Kansas State Board of 
Agriculture, Topeka; Dr. Jay L. Lush, Professor of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames; and 
Dr. John Lash. Director, Special Projects-Federal Relations. Texas Southern University, Houston. Dr. 
Lash represented committee member Dr. Granville M. Sawyer, President, Texas Southern University. 




IN SAN FRANCISCO a passerby pauses to read 
the Chinese language food list distributed by the 
Food Stamp Program. 

the Food Stamp Program. They receive 
some $18.6 million worth of extra food- 
buying power each month in bonus cou- 
pons. 

In about 1,200 other areas where the 
Food Stamp Program is not operating, 
C&MS' Commodity Distribution Pro- 
gram is reaching 3.8 million additional 
needy adults and children. 



1969 CO-OP MONTH PLANNED 

USDA is calling together representa- 
tives of other Federal Departments and 
independent agencies and of national 
organizations of cooperatives to plan 
the 1969 Co-op Month observance this 
October, Secretary Hardin announced. 

The National Advisory Committee on 
Cooperatives asked Secretary Hardin to 
take this action in its April 8 meeting. 
He said he has named Under Secretary 
J. Phil Campbell as Chairman of the 
Co-op Month 1969 steering committee. 

The purpose of Co-op Month. Secre- 
tary Hardin said, is to increase knowl- 
edge and understanding of cooperatives. 
The observance traces its origins back 
to a Waukegan, 111., mayor's proclama- 
tion of Co-op Month 40 years ago. It 
became a State celebration in 1948 when 
Minnesota and Wisconsin Governors 
issued proclamations. USDA participated 
in Co-op Month for the first time in 
1964. 




DR. T. K. COWDEN 



Cowden Named 
Assistant Secretary 

Dr. Thomas K. 
Cowden, 60, Dean 
of the College of 
Agriculture and 
Natural Re- 
sources, Michi- 
gan State Uni- 
versity, has been 
named by Presi- 
dent Richard M. 
Nixon to be As- 
sistant Secretary 
of Agriculture for 
Rural Develop- 
ment and Conservation. 

Before becoming Dean at the East 
Lansing, Mich., school. Dr. Cowden 
served as head of the Department of 
Agricultural Economics at the Univer- 
sity: as director of research for the 
American Farm Bureau Federation; and 
as professor of agricultural economics 
at Purdue University and at Pennsyl- 
vania State University. 

Dr. Cowden has traveled extensively 
in the United States, Europe, and other 
parts of the world in connection with 
his agricultural work. He also has served 
as a member of national committees for 
economic development and agricultural 
policy. 

Born in the farming community of 
Hickory, Pa., Dr. Cowden graduated from 
Ohio State University in 1930, received 
his Master's degree there in 1931, and 
his Ph. D. from Cornell University in 
1937. 



It's a Bitter Pill 

Capsule-carrying ants are helping sci- 
entists of the Agricultral Research Serv- 
ice fight a notorious pest of humans, 
animals, and crops. The busy carriers 
are worker fire ants, members of the 
tribe the scientists are aiming at eradi- 
cating. 

The tiny plastic-coated capsules the 
ants carry contain a bait of soybean oil 
and Mirex. an insecticide developed by 
the ARS scientists. Spread by airplane 
over fields, the capsules are gathered 
by the worker ants, brought back to their 
nests, and fed to the ant queen. Even 
if all the worker ants are not destroyed, 
the colony will soon die once the queen 
is dead. 

In small scale tests, less than V14 
of an ounce of the insecticide per acre 
has given good control. In such minute 
quantities, Mirex is virtually nonhazard- 
ous to humans, pets, wildlife, fish, or 
bees. In fact, the insecticide is so specific 
to the fire ant that it will not kill a num- 
ber of other ant species. 



"COLOR THE CITY GREEN," 
a new color movie on 4— H, 
premiered during USDA's re- 
cent "Growing With America" 
Festival in Washington, D.C. 
Donald S. Parham (left), 
AGRICO Chemical Company, 
presents Under Secretary J. 
Phil Campbell with one of 50 
prints of the movie given to 
USDA for use in 4-H pro- 
grams in each of the 50 
States. AGRICO sponsored 
and financed the film. Look- 
ing on are Paula Harrell, 
Georgia 4-H'er, Mrs. Camp- 
bell, and Brent Davis, New 
Jersey 4-H'er. Paula and 
Brent are two of the 4-H'ers 
appearing in the new movie. 



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SHARP-EYED CITIZENS AID IN PEST CONTROL 



Gardeners, farmers, campers, and 
hikers are urged by USDA to keep a 
sharp lookout for unusual insects or 
damage to ornamentals, trees, lawns, 
houses, or crops. 

Such insects or damage should be re- 
ported at once to county agricultural 
agents or State or Federal entomologists. 
It could mean that a foreign pest has 
sneaked past quarantine barriers or that 
the numbers of an established pest are 
building up to dangerous levels in new 
areas. 



USDA Food Exhibit 
In Japan Is 1969 First 

The annual Japanese International 
Trade Fair in Tokyo April 17-May 6 was 
the site of the first major 1969 overseas 
exhibition of U.S. foods. 

The exhibition was a follow-up of the 
successful and popular all-U.S. "Ameri- 
can Festival" held last spring in the 
same location — Tokyo's Harumi "Wharf. 

The American exhibits stressed prod- 
ucts new to the Japanese trade and con- 
sumers. Demonstrations and displays in- 
troduced refrigerated dough items, in- 
cluding cookies, biscuits, and sweet rolls. 
Pancakes and waffles also made their 
debuts for Japanese home use. Other 
commodities on exhibit included beef, 
feed grains, poultry, raisins, lemons, 
prunes, peas and lentils, and honey. 

A soap display, sponsored by the U.S. 
tallow industry, and a Japanese-style 
house made of U.S. lumber and plywood 
were two non-food displays. 

All major trading nations participate 
in the Japanese Fair which draws from 
1 to 1.5 million visitors. 

Japan is the American farmer's larg- 
est overseas customer, taking nearly $1 
billion worth of U.S. agricultural prod- 
ucts each year. 



Plant pest control experts of the Ag- 
gricultural Research Service stress the 
important part played by private citi- 
zens in discovering new insect enemies. 
It was a Florida homeowner's curiosity 
about larvae found in a grapefruit that 
triggered the successful campaign in 
1956 against the destructive Mediterra- 
nean fruit fly. 

The weekly ARS publication, "Coop- 
erative Economic Insect Report," pro- 
vides a warning service on insect threats 
by noting established pests in new areas 
and the unusual build-up of known pests. 
Citizens contribute to the service by 
collecting insects, preserving them, and 
sending them to county agricultural 
agents or State universities along with 
information on where the insects were 
found and what damage they were caus- 
ing. ___^____ 

FHA State Directors Named 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin recently 
announced appointment of three new 
State Directors of the Farmers Home 
Administration. 

Gordon F. Klenk of Easton, Minn., was 
named to the FHA post for Minnesota. 
He formerly served as Minnesota State 
Director from 1954-61. State headquar- 
ters for the agency are in St. Paul. 

James L. <Ly7in) Futch of Canadian, 
Tex., specialist in agricultural credit, was . 
appointed to the State Director post for 
Texas. He assumed his new position after 
nearly 17 years with Texas Production 
Credit Associations. Futch's headquar- 
ters are in Temple, Tex. 

The new FHA State Director for Wy- 
oming, Bill Clark, has been a ranch op- 
erator and cattle producer at Worland, 
■Wyo., since 1948 and operator of an oil 
production company in the same com- 
munity for more than 26 years. State 
headquarters for FHA in 'Wyoming are 
in Casper. 



2 



New Appointees for 
Export Marketing Service 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin lias an- 
nounced two appointments to the recent- 
ly approved Export Marketing Service. 
Clifford G. Pulvermacher, Sterling, Va., 
was named General Sales Manager and 
Frank G. McKnight, El Paso, Tex., As- 
sociate General Sales Manager of the 
new agency. 

Pulvermacher, a native of Sauk City, 
Wis., has more than 25 years experience 
in farm export and foreign aid work. He 
played a leading role in recent years in 
substantially increasing export of U.S. 
wheat to Japan, The Philippines, Korea, 
and Taiwan. He has served as Assistant 
Deputy Administrator, Commodity Op- 
erations, Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service, and earlier was Di- 
rector of the ASCS Procurement and 
Sales Division. 

Pulvermacher joined USDA in 1941 as 
field worker for various food programs. 
In 1945 he went to work for the Depart- 
ment of Defense, working mostly on 
overseas assignments in connection with 
distribution of supplies in occupied coun- 
tries in Europe and Asia. He returned 
to USDA in 1950. 

McKnight, 47, has more than 20 years 
experience in cotton merchandising and 
oilseed processing and sales. His most 
recent position has been as District Man- 
ager for the El Paso district of the Pay- 
master Oil Mill Co., division of Anderson, 
Clayton & Co. Previously, he was in 
charge of export and domestic cotton 
linters sales for that company and held 
various jobs with oil mills in the South- 
west area. 



APPOINTMENTS 

Secretary Clilloril M. Hardin recently 
named new members of State .-Agricultural 
Stabilization and Conservation Commit- 
tees for Washington, Minnesota, and Vir- 
ginia. The appointees are: 

\\ ASHINGTON— H e r b Hemingway, 
Garfield: Jess \. Kniitzen, Burlington; 
and Robert W . Hollowav, Qiiincv. 

MINNESOTA — Selvin M. Erickson, 
Badger: -\lvin B. Payne, DeGraff; and 
Elton T. Redalen, Fountain. 

VIRGINIA— James S. Gillespie, Pound- 
ing Mill; Homer .K. Long, Jr., Edinburg; 
and Delman R. Carr, Carrsville. 

Secretary Hardin recently announced 
the reassignment of GEORGE B. HANSEN 
as Deputy .Administrator, State and County 
Operations, .Agricultural Stabilization and 
Con>ervation .Service, and W ILLI.AM E. 
G.ALBR.AITH as Deputy Under Sccretarv 
for Congressional Relations. The job swap 
was made at the request of the men con- 
cerned. 

The .Secretary stated that Hansen had 
requested a position where he could gain 
administrative experience and Galbraith 
desired more experience in Congressional 
affairs. 




A NIMBLE TV CAMERAMAN finds the back of a mule a good spot to shoot footage for a documentary 
on the people and resources of the Hull-YorkLakeland area. 

"GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING . . ." 



You take a plane to Nashville, Tenn., 
drive 80 miles east, and you are in the 
heart of the Hull-York-Lakeland Re- 
source Conservation and Development 
project. This 11 -county, 2^2 million acre 
section of the Cumberland Highlands is 
uiidergoing many changes as it heads 
towards the 1970's. The job of the RC&D 
project people is to see that these 
changes are beneficial. 

What is RC&D besides a handful of 
initials? Basically, it's a regional de- 
velopment program for people with the 
need, the desire, and the ability to grow 
and improve. It is a varied program that 
aims at better use of such fundamental 
resources as soil, water, and timber, and 
includes such diverse end results as more 
employment opportunities; better job 
training; more hospitals, libraries, and 
roads; cleaner water; and that intangi- 
ble known as community spirit. 

The Hull- York-Lakeland RC&D proj- 
ect began as an idea in 1964, sponsored 
by the local soil conservation districts. 
RC&D board chairman Dr. L. R. Dud- 
ney traveled thousands of miles during 
1965 to tell civic groups and other gath- 
erings about the project and why it 
needed community participation to work. 
By October 1966, the planning was com- 
pleted and RC&D sponsors were ready 
for the "cash and carry-out the work" 
phase. Since then: 

• Fifty-one projects have been com- 
pleted, adding $7 '2 million gross income 
to the area yearly. 



e Work is underway on 32 other meas- 
ures, expected to add $10.8 million more 
in annual gross income. 

• Farm conservation work has in- 
creased 40 percent over pre-project days. 

• Ten of the 11 RC&D counties have 
new industries. Three job training cen- 
ters are operating and a new mountain 
crafts association is active. Beautifica- 
tion campaigns have cleaned up dump 
areas and seeded roadside areas. Five 
towns have sanitary landfills or have 
acquired the land; no town had them 
before. Tourism is actively promoted 
through the RC&D Recreation and Tour- 
ism committee. Five new libraries have 
been built and four new health centers 
are under construction. Flood preven- 
tion work has helped farmers and home- 
owners and allowed one factory employ- 
ing 1,400 people to stay in the area. 

The "people effect" is also dramatic. 
"A few years ago," says Dr. Dudney, "we 
were Tennessee's problem child. The 
young productive people left in droves. 
The tax base shrank. Modern school 
rooms sat empty. Businesses closed. 
Now, spirit is high. Good things are hap- 
pening — things that require coordina- 
tion and common concern, qualities not 
evident before the project came to life." 

Hull- York-Lakeland is one of 51 RC&D 
projects now authorized throughout the 
Nation. The Soil Conservation Service 
has responsibility for coordinating 
RC&D work. But the secret of success 
is the willingness of local people to help 
themselves. 



Nobel Prize Winner Is 
Atwater Memorial Lecturer 

Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Dr. 
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi will give the sec- 
ond annual W. O. Atwater Memorial Lec- 
ture in September in New York City. 
Secretary Hardin annoui:iced recently. 

The lecture will be delivered before 
the 158th Semi-Annual Meeting of the 
American Chemical Society at a joint 
session of the Biological Chemistry and 
Agricultural and Food Chemistry Divi- 
sions. Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi's talk will be 
jointly sponsored by the Agricultural Re- 
search Service and the American Chem- 
ical Society. 

This is the second annual lecture to 
honor USDA's first chief of human nu- 
trition research, Dr. Wilbur O. Atwater 
(1844-1907) . Lecturers are nominated by 
representatives of universities, national 
associations of educators and of scien- 
tists, foundations, and medical societies 
They are chosen for their outstanding 
contributions to the broad field of nutri- 
tion and the sciences it embraces. Last 
year's speaker was Nobel Prize-winning 
Finnish chemist. Dr. Artturi I. Virtanen 

Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi is Director of the 
Institute for Muscle Research for the 
Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods 
Hole, Mass. In 1937, he was awarded the 
Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology 
for his discovery and isolation of vitamin 
C from both plant and animal sources. 



Forest Service Adds 
New Research Natural Areas 

Two tracts of National Forest land 
were permanently set aside recently for 
education and scientific study. 

These Research Natural Areas, among 
79 in the National Forest System in 28 
States and Puerto Rico, are essentially 
virgin forest or other plant communities 
maintained strictly for scientific obser- 
vation and research. 

One new tract, the Roaring Branch 
Research Natural Area, contains 300 
acres of old-growth shortleaf pine and 
hardwoods in the Ouachita National 
Forest in Arkansas. 

The other tract, the Wolf Creek Re- 
search Natural Area, contains 150 acres 
representative of the western shrub and 
grasslands in the fringe of the ponderosa 
pine. It is located in the Okanogan Na- 
tional Forest in Washington. 

Research Natural Areas serve as base- 
lines for comparative study with other 
areas subjected to grazing, timber har- 
vesting, and recreational use. Environ- 
mental changes that affect natural veg- 




McVey's Idea Now Big Reality 

Daniel H. McVey, Special Assistant to 
the Assistant Administrator, Farmer 
Cooperative Service, stands before a new 
5 million bushel export elevator which he 
had a hand in bringing into being. 

The elevator — located about 15 miles 
up river from New Orleans — is owned 
and operated by a federation of seven 
Midwestern regional cooperatives. The 
federation is known as Famers Export 
Company and represents a million farm- 
ers. 

At dedication ceremonies on March 21, 
President of the company, F. V. Heinkel, 
said, "Five men started thinking of 
building this facility. If any one person 
can claim to have conceived the idea, 
it's Dan McVey." 

McVey did more than just conceive 
the idea. He helped the farmer-owned 
businesses organize Farmers Export 
Company, find the best design for the 
facilities, and chose the most efficient 
site. 

The co-ops invested $9 million of their 
members' money and borrowed $19 mil- 
lion from the Banks for Cooperatives to 
get the elevator into operation. It can 
handle 125 million bushels of grain a 
year, a volume that could earn $175 mil- 
lion at current prices in the export mar- 
kets for the United States. 

etation development — such as air pollu- 
tion, weather modification, and changes 
in ground water levels — can also be com- 
pared. 

Research Natural Areas in the Forest 
Service system will eventually represent 
all important forest and rangeland types. 
They are part of a larger Federal system 
of Research Natural Areas, representing 
vegetation types, examples of fish and 
animal habitats, land forms, soil types, 
and mineral deposits. 



USDA SAVINGS BOND 




CAMPAIGN FOR 1969 




The table 


below is the 


USDA Sav- 1 


ings Bond scorecard as o 


f Marc 


h 22, 


kickoff date 


for the USDA 1969 


Sav- 


ings Bond Campaign. Dr 


E. R. 


Dra- 


lieim, Office of Personnel, 


is technical 


assistant to Secretary Ha 


rdin for the 


campaign. 








Agency 


Investors 


Percent 


OHE 


7 




100.0 


PCS 


85 




95.5 


lOS 


8 




88.9 


SEG 


7 




87.5 


FCIC 


574 




87.0 


FHA 


5,606 




86.6 


CEA 


125 




83.3 


RCDS 


19 




82.6 


B&P 


51 




82.3 


OP 


57 




81.4 


scs 


12,064 




81.0 


OIG 


676 




80.9 


P&SYA 


144 




80.4 


FES 


167 




80.0 


REA 


684 




79.6 


ASCS 


3,288 




79.5 


SEC 


66 




78.6 


RPDES 


25 




78,1 


FS 


16,530 




77.6 


FAS 


451 




77.5 


P&O 


195 




76.2 


ARS 


10,516 




75.7 


SRS 


897 




74.9 


C&MS 


9,881 




73.6 


CSRS 


58 




69.9 


INF 


145 




69.7 


IADS 


59 




69.4 


OMI 


152 




67.9 


ERS 


672 




64.7 


OMS 


200 




63.9 


NAL 


107 




63.7 


OGC 


214 




62.8 


USDA 


63,730 




77.8 



HONOR AWARDS CEREMONY 
SCHEDULED FOR MAY 20 

All USDA employees are invited to 
attend the Department's 23d Amiual 
Honor Awards Ceremony at 10:30 a.m.. 
Tuesday, May 20, at the Sylvan Theater, 
Washington Monument Grounds. 

Secretary Clifford M. Hardin will be 
the principal speaker. Distinguished and 
Superior Service Awards will be pre- 
sented to 77 employees and groups rep- 
resenting 40 field headquarters and the 
Washington Metropolitan area. 

In case of rain the ceremony will be 
conducted at the Departmental Audi- 
torium between 12th & 14th Streets on 
Constitution Avenue NW. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



MAY 8, 1969 



Vol. XXVIII No, 10 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRI 






Efvi 



UOp.3 UU BttAINUn 





WI'IKIIP 



NtW5Ltl I UK 




VOL, XXVIII NO. 11 
MAY 22, 1969 



Magazine Features 
Worldly Ag Stories 

One of the best sources of new ideas 
and experiences in the field of interna- 
tional agricultural development is the 
AGRICULTURAL REVIEW, a magazine 
published quarterly by the Organization 
for Economic Cooperation and Develop- 
ment lOECD) to which the United 
States belongs. 

Published in English, French, German, 
Italian, Spanish, Greek, and Turkish 
editions, AGRICULTURAL REVIEW 
features articles submitted by experts 
from OECD member countries. 

The latest issue spotlights such stories 
as: 

"Intergovernmental Organizations — 
A product of the 20th Century" 
by Dr. Ralph Phillips, Director 
of USDA's International Orga- 
nizations Staff 
"Agricultural Policy in Austria" by 
Dr. Karl Schleinzer, Federal 
Minister of Agriculture and For- 
estry in Austria 
"Allocating Resources to Scientific 
Research" by David Juckes, an 
administrator in the OECD Di- 
rectorate for Agriculture 
"The Adviser as Agent for Change" 
hy P. R. Peachey, Country Agri- 
cultural Advisor for the British 
Ministry of Agriculture, Fish- 
eries, and Food on the Isle of 
Wight 
"Farm Mechanization in Sweden" 
"New Cattle-Breeding System in 

Canada" 
"Global Soil Map Boon to Planners" 
Subscription rate for the AGRICUL- 
TURAL REVIEW is $2.50 annually. 
Those interested in subscribing should 
write to: OECD Publications Center, 
Suite 1305, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., 
Washington, D.C. 20006. 




SECRETARY HARDIN was a favorite camera subject of 4-H Club members at the recent 4-H National 
Conference in Washington, D.C. 

4-H'ers Meet for 39th National Conference 



.About 105 million pounds of SOYBEAN 
PROTEIN PRODUCTS were used bv U.S. 
food nianufinturers in 1967. W'liile this 
would make a lot of sauec, baked j;oods 
accounted for almost half of the total 
volume. 



About 225 outstanding 4-H youth from 
the 50 States and Puerto Rico gathered 
in Washington, D.C, for the 39th Annual 
National 4-H Conference. Theme for the 
conference, held April 20-25, was "4-H: 
Tomorrow's Promise." Also attending 
the conference on an exchange basis 
were 10 4-H'ers from Canada and 2 
young Japanese farmers participating in 
a 2-year Japanese-American agricul- 
tural training program. 

Highlights of the conference included 
an address by Secretary Hardin, daily 
group meetings, tours of the Capital City, 
and a Friends of 4-H Day which honored 
nine private citizens as new "Partners in 
4-H" and four firms and organizations 
with 4-H Crested Clovers for important 
contributions to 4-H. 

Conference delegates were from among 
the 3^4 million 4-H'ers in the country's 
towns, cities, suburban and rural areas. 
Two girls and two boys from each State 
were selected for major achievements in 
community service, leadership, citizen- 
ship, and exceptional personal develop- 
ment. At this year's conference, dele- 
gates learned of increased opportunities 
4-H offers today and reviewed important 
issues affecting 4-H in the future. 



The conference was supervised by the 
Cooperative Extension Service. It was 
planned and conducted by the Federal 
Extension Service and the National 4-H 
Foundation, Washington, D.C, aided by 
the National 4-H Service Committee, 
Chicago. 



CSC To Spearhead 
Summer Youth Program 

President Nixon has asked the Civil 
Service Commission to spearhead the 
Federal Summer Employment Program 
for Youth, and to provide leadership and 
direction for the employment, utiliza- 
tion, supervision, and counseling of 
summer employees. 

The President also asked the heads of 
Federal departments and agencies to 
hire, as part of their normal summer 
employment program, at least one needy 
young person for every 40 regular em- 
ployees on their payrolls. 

The CSC will issue instructioiis to Fed- 
eral agencies informing them of the 
goals, providing guidelines for counsel- 
ing, and establishing necessary report- 
ing procedures. 




USDA ARTIST, Rudolph A. Wendelin (left), re- 
ceives from Under Secretary Phil Campbell this 
year's first Silver Smokey statuette, the "Oscar" 
of forest fire prevention. Wendelin was cited by 
the Advertising Council, Inc., the Forest Service, 
and the National Association of State Foresters 
for exceptional service in assuring that drawings 
and pictures reflect the personality of the 
Smokey Bear symbol. Wendelin became the 
principal artist for Smokey characterization and 
supporting graphic material in 1946. Since 
1945, the symbol of the Smokey Bear Fire Pre- 
vention Campaign has been responsible for re- 
ducing man-caused forest fires by nearly 50 
percent. 



Graduate School Lists 
Course for Retirees 

Successful Retirement, a new course 
designed to help people get the most 
from their retirement years, will be of- 
fered by the USDA Graduate School 
during the 1969 Summer session. Discus- 
sion topics include the importance of 
preparing for retirement, transition from 
the structured to unstructured life, place 
of work in the life cycle, financial plan- 
ning and living arrangements in retire- 
ment, volunteer work, and travel. 
Couples are encouraged to register for 
the course. 

Among courses offered for the evening 
Summer session, which begins June 2, 
are; The American Negro Novel, Archi- 
tecture of Washington, D.C., The Po- 
tomac Valley, Conservation in ActioJi, 
and Introduction to Ecology. 

Registration for these courses is May 
26 through 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 
p.m. on the first floor patio of the Ad- 
ministration Building, 14th Street and 
Independence Avenue, Washington, D.C. 

The Graduate School is also offering 
Special Program courses in the Curricu- 
lum of Computer Sciences during May, 
June, and July. Nomination due dates 
for these daytime classes vary for each 
course. For further information on 
registration, contact: Dr. J. F. Hendrick 
or Miss Luella Dever, Area Code 202, DU 
8-7630 or DU 8-7820. 



Scientists Find New 
Leukemia Inhibitor Source 

New sources of an enzyme used in 
clinical tests to inhibit leukemia have 
been found by Agricultural Research 
Service scientists. At the ARS Northern 
utilization research laboratory, Peoria, 
111., chemist Robert E. Peterson, and 
mici-obiologist Dr. Alex Ceigler screened 
123 strains of bacteria for production of 
the enzyme, L-asparagine. Four other 
strains of bacteria were also found to 
yield the enzyme. 

This enzyme breaks down an amino 
acid, asparagine. Destroying the amino 
acid inhibits the growth of leukemia 
cells but does not affect normal cells. 
Most leukemia cells need L-asparagine 
but, unlike nonnal cells, cannot make it. 

The enzyme gives good results in clini- 
cal tests, but there is not enough from 
present sources for prolonged treatment. 

The research by Peterson and Ceigler 
is part of a 28-year program of screening 
organisms in a collection at the Peoria 
laboratory for antibiotic production. 
First major development in the program 
was an industrial process for producing 
penicillin. 




ROBERT E. PETERSON (left) and Dr. Alex 
Ciegler have found new sources for leukemia 

inhibitor. 



ASCS Area Director Named 

Secretary Hardin has announced the 
appointment of Edward D. Hews, a 
farmer from Presque Isle, Maine, as 
Northeast Area Director for the Agri- 
cultural Stabilization and Conservation 
Service. 

In his new position. Hews will be head- 
quartered in Washington, D.C, and will 
have general supervision of farm pro- 
grams administered by ASCS in Con- 
necticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New 
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode 
Island, Vermont, and West Virginia. 




MRS. COST REDUCTION, USDA 
^ ^ For May 1969 ^ ^ 

Ever had trouble handling, storing, or rerunning 
used mimeograph stencils? MRS. KERRY J. 
IRVINE, Business Services Clerk with the Farm- 
ers Home Administration State office in Huron, 
S. Dak., suggests making a simple storage and 
file box for used stencils. She used an empty 
cardboard carton, two wooden dowels, and some 
lengths of wire. Stencils are attached to the 
wires by paper clips and hung from the dowels 
into the carton. Here they can dry without creas- 
ing or sticking together. Colored tabs attached 
to the paper clips help locate the needed stencil 
quickly. Total cost — 90 cents. A commercial 
stencil storage box costs $25. "I no longer 
worry about getting other papers or my clothing 
soiled," says Mrs. Irvine, a former model and 
runner-up for the 1969 Young Career Woman's 
Award sponsored by the Business and Profes- 
sional Women's Society of Huron. Mrs. Irvine 
received a cash award of $50 for adoption of 
her suggestion in the South Dakota office, plus 
a letter of commendation from Secretary Hardin. 
If your office is using mimeograph stencils, you 
should consider this idea. Be sure to contact 
your Employee Suggestions Coordinator. If you 
think your improvement ideas have application 
outside your office, please share them! We're 
holding this spot open for you next month. 



Extension Teams Study 
Foreign Trade Opportunities 

Three teams of U.S. agricultural econ- 
omists left in April for a 3-week study 
of foreign market opportunities and 
trade policies in 15 countries of Asia and 
Europe. Lloyd H. Davis, Administrator, ■ 
Federal Extension Service, said the 
teams will examine a wide range of fac- 
tors affecting U.S. farm export prospects 
overseas. On their return they will re- 
port their findings to farmers and 
agribusinessmen. 

All 12 economists on the mission are 
with the Cooperative Extension Service. 
The tour is sponsored by the National 
Agricultural Policy Committee in coop- 
eration with the Foreign Agricultural 
Service . and the Federal Extension 
Service. 



LITTER ISN'T EVEN 
"FOR THE BIRDS" 

Soon summer will be upon us, and our 
ears will be ringing with the slogan, 
"Don't be a litterbug . . . Keep America 
Beautiful!" 

Not that summer is the only time we 
should be concerned with preventing 
litter. But it is during the summer that 
more litter finds itself blemishing our 
Nation's beauty. 

Keep America Beautiful, Inc., in its 
war on litter, is distributing to news- 
papers, magazines, and other media 
throughout the country eight anti-litter 
conservation cartoons. 

These cartoons dike the one to the 
right) were drawn by Felix Suvnners, 
Soil Conservation Service technical il- 
lustrator, and may be obtained from 
Keep America Beautiful, Inc., 99 Park 
Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. 

Summers works for SCS at Lincoln, 
Nebr. For years his drawings and car- 
toons — some humorous, some philosophi- 
cal^have helped tell the conservation 
story to millions of people in the United 
States and abroad. 

The "cast of characters" for his draw- 
ings includes people, animals, and birds. 
Summers has prepared several special 
series for use in Hawaii and Puerto Rico 
for the Soil Conservation Society of 
America and for America the Beautiful, 
Inc. In addition, many of his drawings 
have been reproduced on cards and post- 
ers by the Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service. 

Summers began his art career in the 
1930's as a New York mm-al painter. 
After a military stint during World War 
II, he went home to Mills County, Iowa, 
for a rest before returning to New York. 
As fate would have it. Summers never 
returned. During his "rest" he took a 
short-term appointment with SCS. He's 




-- one/ man soys pigeons ' fowl' up porks ''" 

been with the agency since ... in Iowa, 
Wisconsin, and Nebraska. 

The Soil Conservation Service, in 
keeping with its tradition, champions 
the campaign against litter in many 
ways : 

• It gives technical help to local com- 
munities for properly locating sanitary 
landfills for trash disposal. 

• It makes litter control and cleanup 
a part of the project measures in more 
than 50 multi-county Resource Conser- 
vation and Development projects. 

• It stresses litter control in helping 
in conservation education programs in 
schools and in developing school sites 
as outdoor learning laboratories. Initial 
cleanup of the outdoor sites is empha- 
sized, and the school children are en- 
couraged to take part in the project. 

So this summer whether you are frol- 
icking at the beach, cruising along the 
highway, or strolling through a park — 
remember, "Don't be a litterbug . . . 
Keep America Beautiful!" 




ROBERT W. HOL- 
LEY (center) in- 
spects the bronze 
plaque designed 
by his colleagues 
to commemorate 
his Nobel Prize- 
winning research. 
Chemists who as- 
sisted Holley m 
the project are: 
(left to right) G. 
A. Everett, Jean 
Apgar, S. H. Mer- 
ril, and J. T. 
Madison. (Photo: 
Ithaca Journal) 



Secretary Appoints 
New FHA State Directors 

Secretary Hardin recently announced 
appointment of three new State Direc- 
tors and one State Director-at-large for 
the Fanners Home Administration. 

Michael C. Horan, Wenatchee, Wash., 
is the new appointee for the FHA posi- 
tion in the State of Washington. Horan 
operates orchards and a fruit packing 
and shipping facility, an enterprise of 
the Horan family for 70 years. He is the 
son of the late Congressman Walt Horan 
of Washington. 

Farmer and building contractor John 
A. Garrett will serve as State Director 
for Alabama. A graduate in civil engi- 
neering, Garrett has operated a general 
contracting firm and a 600-acre live- 
stock and crop farm near Montgomery, 
Ala., for the past 10 years. 

Seelig Bartell Wise, Jonestown, Miss., 
is the new FHA State Director for Mis- 
sissippi. He is a cotton and soybean 
farmer in the Mississippi Delta country. 

Wise succeeds Thomas B. Fatherree 
who has been designated a State Direc- 
tor-at-large. In this position Fatherree 
will assist in the training of Southern 
State Directors and staff members and 
make special studies of program needs 
and administrative methods a^ a spe- 
cial representative of the national 
Administrator. 



Plaque Marks 
Research Site 

The nucleic acid research which won 
Robert W. Holley a 1968 Nobel Prize is 
commemorated in a bronze plaque re- 
cently mounted at USDA's Plant, Soil 
and Nutrition Laboratory at Cornell 
University, Ithaca, N.Y. 

At the brief presentation ceremony, 
W. H. Allaway, laboratory director, noted 
that this was the first time research 
from a USDA laboratory had been ac- 
knowledged by a Nobel award. 

Holley, formerly with the Agricultural 
Research Service and now with Cornell, 
shared the $70,000 prize with two other 
American professors who had conducted 
independent research on the interpreta- 
tion of the genetic code and its function 
in protein synthesis. 

Holley w'as the first to discover the 
group of small nucleic acids called 
"transfer" RNA's which play an im- 
portant part in the pix)cess by which any 
living cell makes protein. 

A story describing the prize-winning 
research appears in the 1968 Yearbook 
of Agriculture, Science for Better Living. 
The author, Jean Apgar. was a member 
of the research team working with 
Holley. 



3 



Horticulturist Cited by 
Government of El Salvador 

Claud L. Horn, USDA horticulturist, 
has been awarded the Ministry of Agri- 
culture and Livestock Diploma of Merit 
by the Government of El Salvador. 

Presented by Agriculture Minister An- 
tonio Berrios Mendoza earlier this yeai', 
the award cites Horn "for deserved rec- 
ognition of his prestigious work of tech- 
nical assistance to benefit the national 
agricultural development" of El Salva- 
dor. Horn, a member of the Agricultural 
Research Service, is team leader for the 
PASA (Participating Agency Service 
Agreement) between USDA and the 
State Department's Agency for Interna- 
tional Development mission in El Salva- 
dor. He works out of the capital city of 
San Salvador. 

PASA's are authorized under the pro- 
visions of the Foreign Assistance Act of 
1961. The act empowers AID to use its 
funds to draw on the technical compe- 
tence of other Federal Departments in 
carrying out international assistance 
programs. The first such agreem.ent be- 
tween USDA and AID called for techni- 
cal help in the agricultural development 
of El Salvador and was executed on 




CLAUD L. HORN (right) 
and a Salvadoran technician 
inspect a newly erected 
livestock station in the hin- 
terland of El Salvador. 



May 1, 1963. Horn was named team 
leader of this PASA at its inception. 

At that time the main source of hu- 
man protein in this small, but important, 
Central American country was a type of 
shiny black bean which had become the 
target of numez'ous major diseases and 
at least seven insect pests. Visiting ARS 
scientists, through teamwork coordi- 
nated by Horn, assisted Salvadoran 
geneticists and entomologists in develop- 
ing a bean breeding program designed 
to incorporate disease and insect resist- 
ance, high protein content, high yields, 
and color and flavor acceptance. 

Other USDA scientists have worked 



with the Salvadorans on improved live- 
stock breeding, increased milk produc- 
tion, intensified research on edible oil- 
seed crops such as soybeans, peanuts, 
and sesame. In addition, under the El 
Salvador PASA local veterinarians have 
been learning the newest diagnostic 
techniques for identifying tuberculosis, 
brucellosis, and rabies in livestock. 

Horn began his 41 years of Federal 
service in 1928 when he was assigned to 
the ARS station in the Virgin Islands. 
He was born in Bauxite, Ark., and re- 
ceived his degree from the Oklahoma 
State University of Agriculture and Ap- 
plied Science. 



APPOINTMENTS 

DR. R. KEITH .ARNOLD, Dean of the 
.School of Natural Resources at the Uni- 
versity of Miciiifran, has been named to 
Iiead th<' researcli prof;rain of tiie Forest 
.Ser^ ice. 

F.S Cliief Edward P. ClitT said .\rnoId 
Koiihl assume liis ne« duties in Vt'ashinj;- 
loii. D.d.. at the end of the current school 
year, .\rnold succeeds Dr. George M. 
Jemison. «ho retired in January. 

.\s Deputy Chief of Research, .Arnold 
will direct a national forestry research pro- 
<;ram including eifilit rej;ional forest ex- 
jjeriment stations, the Forest Product> 
Laboratory, and the Institute of Tropical 
For<'»tr> . 

Previous to his University assignment. 
.Vrnold servetl as a fire research forester 
in California: as an assi>tant professor oi 
forestry at the University of California at 
Herkeley : and, in 1957, was appointed as 
Director of the Pacific .Southwest Forest 
and Range Experiment .Station, Berkeley. 
He transferred to the Forest .Service's na- 
lional olFice as Director of Forest Protec- 
tion Kcsearch in 1963. 

-Secretary Hardin recently announced 
the following appointments to State .\gri- 
<ultnral .Sial)ili/,ation and Conservation 
Coniniillecs : 

INDIANA — .lolin I). Thompson, Owens- 
viMc: Robert P. Murray, Frankfort: and 
Newell S. Tiiuinons, Monticello. 

WYOMING— Harold L. Jolley, Lovell; 
John M. Wilson. .Vita: and Jack VanMark, 




MOST GOVERNMENT AGENCIES have college student recruitment programs. But the Soil Conserva- 
tion Service doesn't wait until youngsters reach college to impress them with the important work 
that SOS performs. Recently, 180 students of the Como Elementary School visited the SCS regional 
office in Fort Worth, Tex. The students saw movies of the conservation program, then toured the plant 
to see map-making, drafting, printing, soil testing, and other agency functions. This group was 
attracted by the collator-folder-stitcher machines in the Cartographic Unit. Their teacher (left, rear) 
is Clarence Russell, and the SCS employee (right) is C. B. Eason. 



Torrington. 

OHIO— Harle H. Hicks, Continental; 
(iline Gilpin, .Scioto>ille; and Reuben B. 
Jones, Circleville. 

MISSOURI — John W. Hutcheson, Boli- 
var; Worth Bender, Bethany; and Barry 



L. Richardson, Portageville. 

SOUTH DAKOTA— Ohmer D. Cook, 
Cottonwood. 

OREGON — Walter E. Ericksen, The 
Dalles; Charles O. Burnet, Moro; and 
Curtis P. Barker, Roseburg. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



fvlAY 22, 1969 

4 



Vol, XXVIII No, 1 1 



USDA Is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible: for rws/i orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



Cl3— 349-,')01 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 






M I 1^ ■% J~i r% I 

rfce:iv?=:d 
JUN 6 1969 

U. S. DEPASTMO^I ff AGiUCtllUi: 
BELTSVILLE BRANCH 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVillNO. 12 
JUNE 5, 1969 



A MESSAGE 
FROM THE SECRETARY 

In a foreword to the 1969 USDA Hon- 
or Awards Ceremony, Secretary Clifford 
M. Hardin said: 

"President Nixon noted in his Inaugu- 
ral Address: 'The second third of this 
century has been a time of proud 
achievement. We have made enormous 
strides in science and industry and agri- 
culture. We have shared our wealth more 
broadly than ever, we've learned at last 
to manage a modern economy to assure 
its continued growth.' 

"Today is a day for recognizing some 
of the talent, innovation, and determi- 
nation that have contributed and are 
contributing to these proud achieve- 
ments that promise ever greater things 
to come. 

"I am especially happy to take part in 
this tribute to U.S. Department of Agri- 
culture employees who are rendering 
outstanding services not only to the peo- 
ple of our own great nation, but also to 
people around the world. 

"Today, and in the immediate future, 
we face great challenges which require 
of us the same exceptional service and 
devotion to duty that earned the awards 
being presented today. These are among 
the challenges we face: 

— to raise form income, 

— to adjust to agriculture's surplus 
capacity, 

— to expand present export markets 
for agricultural commodities and to de- 
velop new markets, 

— to provide good nutrition for Ameri- 
cans wherever the opportunity for an 
adequate diet does not now exist, 

— to create new jobs, and to provide 
homes and an attractive standard of 
living in rural America, 

— to assure that American food prod- 
ucts are safe and wholesome, 

— to undergird the future with 
research, 

— to use wisely and improve the qual- 
ity of our natural resources, and 

— to enlist the support and help of 
Americans in all walks of life in these 
endeavors. 

"I invite your full participation in 
meeting these challenges. . . ." 



OOOCOCOCCCCCOOGCOSCOCCCCOOCg 

O The 23rd .Annual Honor Awards X 

X Ceremony >vas held Tuesday, May Q 

fi 20, in Washington, D.C. 

8x Secretary Hardin presented Dis- Q 

tingiiished Service Awards to eight 

_ persons and one group of employees, X 

X and Superior Service Awards to 62 tl 

Q persons and 6 units. Q 

S*- The award-winning employees Q 

and groups represent 40 field head- v 

~ quarters and the Washington, D.C. K 

A metropolitan area. O 

&OOOOOGGOOOOOOGCOOOCOOOOOOO 

1968-69 Winners of 
Major Non-USDA Awards 

BARRY R. FLAMM, forestry advisor. 
Forest Service, International Forestry 
Start", Saigon, Vietnam — Selected by the 
District of Columbia Junior Chamber of 
Commerce as one of the 10 outstanding 
young men in the Federal Government to 
win the 1969 Arthur S. Flemming Award. 

RAYMOND A. lOANES, administrator, 
Foreign Agricultural Service, \V ashington, 
D.C. — \\'inner of the 1969 Career Serv- 
ice Award sponsored by the National Civil 
Service League to strengthen public serv- 
ice by bringing national recognition to 
significant careers in the Federal Service. 

ODETTE SHOTWELL, research chem- 
ist. Agricultural Research Service, Peoria, 
III. — One of the 10 Outstanding Handi- 
capped Federal Employees of 1968 given 
recognition under a new awards program 
sponsored by the Civil Service Commis- 
sion to increase awareness of contribu- 
tions being made by the handicapped. 

EDWARD H. STONE, chief landscape 
architect. Forest Service, Washington, 
D.C. — Selected by District of Columbia 
Junior Chamber of Commerce as one of 
the 10 outstanding young men in the 
Federal Government to win the 1969 
.\rthur S. Flemming Award. 

TERRENCE R. TURNER, director, 
USDA Management Data Service Center, 
Office of Management Improvement, New- 
Orleans, La. — One of five winners of the 
1968 Paperwork Management .\ward 
sponsored by the .Association of Records 
Executives and Administrators to recog- 
nize the significant accomplishments of 
Government managers who have success- 
fully developed programs to reduce Fed- 
eral Government paperwork costs. 

RUDOLPH A. WENDELIN, Office of 
Information staff artist serving as fidl- 
time art consultant to the Forest Service, 
Wasliington, D.C. — Recipient of the 1968 
Horace Han .Award of the Education 
Council of the Graphic .Arts Industry for 
distinguished service in the field of print- 
ing and publishing. 



DISTINGUISHED SERVICE 
AWARDS 

Program Administration 

ALFRED L. EDWARDS, Office of the 
Secretary, Washington, D.C. — For ex- 
ceptional leadership and effectiveness 
in coordinating Department-wide pro- 
grams and bringing together divergent 
views into a concerted effort particu- 
larly in programs affecting quality of 
environment, youth, and rural economic 
development. 

KENNETH E. GRANT, SCS, Wash- 
ington, D.C. — For outstanding leader- 
ship and dedication to the promotion of 
soil conservation and natural resources 
development in the interests of agricul- 
tural producers and the American 
public. 

M. L. UPCHURCH, ERS. Washington. 
D.C. — For singular professional achieve- 
ment and remarkable leadership in 
administering a broad program of eco- 
nomic research, lending invaluable as- 
sistance to the Department and the 
public in understanding and making de- 
cisions on agricultural and roral affairs. 

Management and General Administration 
CARL B. BARNES, OP, Washington, 
D.C. — For dynamic direction of person- 
nel programs and for imagination and 
drive in developing new management 
concepts resulting in improved commu- 
nications, organization, and more effi- 
cient manpower resource utilization. 

Science, Engineering, and Technology 
CRAIG C. CHANDLER, FS. Arling- 
ton, Va. — For eminent leadership and 
direction of cooperative research on the 
forest fire aspects of national defense. 
GEORGE W. IRVING, Jr., ARS. 
Washington, D.C. — For unequaled ef- 
forts in the development and adminis- 
tration of effective scientific research on 
behalf of U.S. agriculture and the Amer- 
ican consumer. 

GUSTAV A. WIEBE, ARS, Beltsville, 
Md.- — For wise and farsighted applica- 
tion of scientific advances to crop im- 
provement and plant genetics through 
inspirational leadership and distin- 
guished personal accomplishments in 
barley research. 



WILLIAM J. ZAUMEYER, ARS, Belts- 
ville, Md. — For notable research achieve- 
ments in plant pathology and plant 
breeding, and for effective national and 
international research leadership i:i the 
improvement of vegetable legumes. 

Group Achievement 
SANDOVAL COUNTY TECHNICAL 
ACTION PANEL, Bernalillo, N. Mex. — 
For effective community development 
services performed for and with the peo- 
ple of Sandoval County, N. Mex. 



SUPERIOR SERVICE AWARDS 

Program Administration 
JOHN O. BARNES, FHA, Temple, 
Tex. — For exemplary leadership of the 
Farmers Home Administration in Texas 
during a critical period when the State 
Director was disabled. 

HUBERT P. BECKERS, SCS, Billings, 
Mont. — For excellence in providing 
leadership and direction to personnel; 
providing motivation for cooperation of 
concerned organizations; utilizing all 
available resources to accomplish con- 
servation objectives and flood restora- 
tion in his area. 

GLENN G. BIERMAN, P&SA, Wash- 
ington, D.C. — For superlative leadership, 
skill, and vision in the direction and ad- 
ministration of the Packers and Stock- 
yards Act. 

WILLIAM M. BOST, CES, State Col- 
lege, Miss.— For complete unification of 
the staff, goals, and pi-ograms of the 
Mississippi Cooperative Extension Serv- 
ice to provide total service for betterment 
of the total population of the State. 

LONNIE A. BURDETTE, FHA. Louis- 
ville, Ga. — For exceptional service to low- 
income rural families of Jefferson 
County, Ga., in helping them to become 
owners of decent, safe, sanitary, and 
attractive homes. 

JAMES H. CARR, FHA, Monticello, 
Miss. — For providing unusually effective 
leadership and service in attaining De- 
partment objectives of better living 
standards and security for rural fami- 
lies and rm-al communities in Lawrence 
County, Miss. 

CLIFFORD R. COLLINGS, ASCS, 
Salt Lake City, Utah — For extraordinary 
leadership and judgment in developing 
and administering agency programs in 
Utah; for personal dedication to soil and 
water conservation and to the advance- 
ment of the rural community. 

SALLY K. EBLING, CES, Cleveland, 
Ohio— For unusual ability in analyzing 
the problems of the people of Cuyahoga 
County, Ohio, and outstanding skill in 
solving these problems through creative, 
imaginative, informative, and effective 
home economics educational programs. 



EDMUND H. FARSTAD, IADS, Sai- 
gon, Vietnam — For exceptional energy, 
enthusiasm, technical competence, ana- 
lytical ability, persistence, and diplo- 
macy i:i developing and winning ac- 
ceptance of programs to increase food 
production in Vietnam. 

CARLYLE J. GAUGER, CES, Aines, 
Iowa— For imaginative leadership and 
exceptional initiative in building respon- 
sive 4-H and youth programs; for vision 
in planning new dimensions; and for 
courage in awakening forces for change. 

ELINORE T. GREELEY, C&MS, 
Washington, D.C. — For remarkable abil- 
ity in conducting a continuing effective 
standardization program affecting the 
processed foods industry and consumers; 
and for outstanding contributions to the 
U.S. committees responsible for inter- 
national processed foods standards. 

OLIVER E. HAGGLUND, FHA, At- 
lantic, Iowa — For unusual success in us- 
ing the supervised credit programs of 
the Department to reduce rural poverty 
and for effective training of Assistant 
County Supervisors in Iowa. 

WILLIAM E. HENRY, FHA, Clinton, 
N.C. — For meritorious service to agri- 
culture and rural family life through 
unusually effective administration of su- 
pervised credit, technical assistance, and 
outreach programs in Sampson County, 
N.C. 

JOHN L. HOOVER, ASCS, Washing- 
ton, D.C. — For outstanding skill and 
leadership in automating farm produc- 
tion adjustment programs resulting in 
significant savings of time and money 
and in better service to farmers. 

WILLIAM D. HURST, FS, Albuquer- 
que, N. Mex. — For superior leadership 
and skill in administering a complex 
resource management program in fur- 
thering the Department's role of de- 
veloping human resoui'ces and contrib- 
uting to the economy of the rural South- 
west. 

NED W. JESTES, SCS, Burnsville, 
N.C. — For noteworthy achievement in 
planning and applying soil and water 
conservation, and for success in develop- 
ing conservation leadership in rural 
communities of Yancey County. 

AVARD B. LINFORD, SCS, Bozeman, 
Mont. — For dynamic leadership and ini- 
tiative in formulating, coordinating, and 
managing an effective soil and water 
conservation program in Montana. 

ARNOLD D. LUERS, CES, Crown 
Point, Ind. — For exceptional leadership 
in applying Extension education prin- 
ciples, programs, and resources toward 
solving complex social and economic 
problems in a highly industrial urban 
county. 

FREDERICK S. MERRILL, SCS, Can- 
field, Ohio — For decisive leadership and 
initiative in developing and can-ying out 



the urban interpretation and application 
of soil survey data and its relationship 
to soil and water conservation in north- 
eastern Ohio. 

RALPH M. MILLS, REA, Washington, 
D.C. — For unique ability to solve diffi- 
cult problems resulting in an unusual 
record of success in providing valuable 
service to rural areas of Alaska, Okla- 
homa, and other communities. 

ARNOLD V. NORDQUIST, SRS, Lin- 
coln, Nebr. — For exceptional creativity 
in developing an outstanding agricultur- 
al statistics program in the State of 
Nebraska; and for leadership in recog- 
nizing and meeting new data require- 
ments and in fostering a greater public 
awareness of the use of agricultural data. 
HOWARD B. PICKARD, OGC, Wash- 
ington, D.C. — For distinctive service in 
directing the Department's responsibil- 
ities in the conduct of important litiga- 
tion relating to Commodity Credit Cor- 
poration and Food Assistance Programs 
through effective and efficient manage- 
ment of legal resources. 

MALINDA C. ROBINSON. CES, 
Vicksburg, Miss. — For significant 
achievement in recognizing the need for 
improved housing and nutrition among 
disadvantaged people of Vicksburg and 
Warren Counties and in instituting 
highly successful self-help programs to 
achieve these goals. 

EINAR L. ROGET, SCS, Little Rock, 
Ark. — For dynamic leadership and vision 
in directing an exemplary progam of soil 
and water conservation in New Mexico. 
VICTOR A. SENECHAL, ASCS. Wash- 
ington, D.C. — For superior leadership in 
developing and instituting new methods 
of apportioning the national wheat al- 
lotment which have substantially re- 
duced government costs. 

JOSEPH S. THURSTON, CES. 
Greensburg, Pa. — For strong leadership, 
coupled with unusual diplomacy, in or- 
ganizing and helping urban and rural 
leaders to improve their area's economic, 
social, and educational facilities for the 
betterment of all in Westmoreland 
County, Pa. 

FRED W. TRAEGER, FAS. Manila. 
The Philippines — For effectively repre- 
senting American agricultural interests 
abroad and developing markets for U.S. 
agricultural exports, and for agricul- 
tural reporting. 

JACK E. WARNER, C&MS, San Fran- 
cisco, Calif. — For exceptional technical 
proficiency and public relations skill in 
the performance of regular and special 
assignments greatly facilitating the ef- 
fective administration of the Federal 
meat grading service. 

HOWARD H. WOODWORTH, C&MS. 
Hyattsville, Md. — For unusual initiative 
and effectiveness in working with varied 
groups to modernize the United States 



Grain Standards Act for more efficient 
administration and great benefit to 
American agriculture. 

Management and General Administration 

TONY M. BALDAUF, P&O, Washing- 
ton, D.C. — For responsive leadership, ex- 
ceptional professional competence, keen 
analytical ability, and dedication in de- 
veloping and directing an effective 
contracting and supply management 
program. 

PATRICIA I. PAYLER, OMS, Wash- 
ington, D.C. — For exemplary professional 
competence, productivity, and dedication 
greatly contributing to the effective exe- 
cution of position classification and or- 
ganization responsibilities to offices and 
agencies serviced by OMS. 

DONALD W. SMITH. FS. Washington, 
D.C. — For substantial achievement in 
making Forest Service management sys- 
tems responsive to today's fast changing 
needs through development of unique, 
farsighted workload analyses and plan- 
ning methods. 

LESLIE SURGINER, RE A. Washing- 
ton, D.C. — For exceptional vision and 
dynamic leadership In developing and ad- 
ministering management programs for 
borrower development which directly 
contribute to the success of the telephone 
and electric service in rural America. 

JEROME A. MILES, B&F, Washing- 
ton, D.C. — For dedicated leadership and 
professional competence as exemplified 
by his successful development, coordina- 
tion, and execution of the budgetary and 
financial operations of the Department. 

Science, Engineering, and Technology 

LeROY O. ANDERSON, FS, Madison, 
Wis. — For creative technical accomplish- 
ments and contributions related to the 
effective use of forest products in housing, 
particularly as identified with the needs 
of rural America. 

JOHN G. BOWNE, ARS, Denver. 
Colo. — For scientific leadership in ad- 
vancing research on bluetongue disease 
of sheep and cattle. 

THEODOR O. DIENER, ARS. Belts- 
ville, Md. — For original research on plant 
viruses, leading to identification of a 
radically new type of virus and a greater 
understanding of plant virus-host inter- 
action at the molecular level. 

JAMES R. DONALD. ERS, Washing- 
ton, Z).C.— For important contributions 
to American agriculture in the field of 
cotton and wool demand and price analy- 
sis, and in developing significant and 
authoritative statistical series for cotton, 
wool, and other fibers widely used and 
accepted by all segments of the fibers 
industries. 

WILLIAM B. ENNIS, Jr., ARS, Belts- 
ville, Md.— For unusually keen perception 
and depth of understanding of weed, 
nematode, and plant disease problems as 




RAY lOANES, left. Foreign 
Agricultural Service Ad- 
ministrator, winner of a 
1969 Career Service Award 
of the National Civil Serv- 
ice League, is congratu- 
lated by two earlier win- 
ners. Center is Ralph S. 
Roberts, former Assistant 
Secretary for Administra- 
tion, now Deputy Assistant 
Secretary of State for 
Budget, 1961 winner. 
Right is Edward P. Cliff, 
Chief of the Forest Service, 
1968 winner. Four other 
employees have received 
earlier awards: Richard 
Cotton, 1956; Richard E. 
McArdle, 1958; Lyie T. 
Alexander, 1959; and Hor- 
ace D. Godfrey, 1967. 



they relate to farmers and industry, and 
tlieir solution through outstanding, com- 
plex research by scientists under his 
leadership. 

JAMES O. GRANDSTAFF, CSRS, 
Washington, D.C. — For notable leader- 
ship and professional competence in es- 
tablishing and maintaining high stand- 
ards of research evaluation and effective 
coordination within the USDA-State co- 
operative research programs. 

JOSEPH NAGHSKI, ARS, Wyndmoor, 
Pa. — For significant contributions to 
agriculture, consumers, and industry 
through inspiring leadership resulting in 
more serviceable leathers and enhanced 
utilization of hides and skins. 

A. PERRY PLUMMER, FS. Ephraim, 
Utah — For outstanding diligence and 
skill in developing a strong research 
program on game range improvement in 
cooperation with Utah Division of Fish 
and Game and for obtaining widespread 
application of results. 

ELROY M. POKLE, C&MS, Denver, 
Colo. — For developing and implementing 
objective grade standards for domestic 
and foreign wool, resulting in more or- 
derly marketing and better trade rela- 
tionships between all segments of the 
national and international wool and mo- 
hair industries. 

LAMBERTUS H. PRINCEN, ARS, 
Peoria, III. — For significant achieve- 
ments in application of basic research to 
practical problems in emulsion tech- 
nology, particularly linseed oil paints. 

WALTON R. SMITH, FS, Asheville, 
N.C. — For exceptional leadership in de- 
veloping, implementing, and bringing to 
fruition research in marketing and uti- 
lization of forest resom-ces that will fur- 
ther the attainment of the Department's 
technological and sociological goals. 

GUY E. SPRINGER, SCS, Traverse 
City. Mich. — For meritorious leadership 
and initiative in environmental engineer- 
ing by developing new techniques for land 
reform and air drainage in cherry or- 



chards, a significant advancement in 
fruit production. 

RUSSELL L. STEDMAN, ARS, Wynd- 
moor, Pa. — For d^Tiamic leadership in 
planning and performing complex studies 
designed to clarify relationships between 
smoking and health. 

WESLEY B. SUNDQUIST, ERS. 
Washington, DC. — For combining out- 
standing professional and administrative 
skills, exceptionally imaginative leader- 
ship, and imusual dedication in directing 
an economic research program that is 
highly relevant to emerging questions 
and issues. 

JAMES VERMEER, ERS, Washington. 
D.C. — For meritorious service to the De- 
partment and to the Nation through 
timely and effective economic evaluations 
of present and proposed government 
farm production control and price sup- 
port programs. 

ROBERT E. WESTER, ARS, Belts- 
ville, Md. — For superior accomplish- 
ments in lima bean breeding, culminating 
in the development of improved, disease- 
resistant varieties that have greatly con- 
tributed to the lima bean industry. 

LEWIS L. YARLETT, SCS, Gaines- 
ville, Fla. — For professional creativity 
and leadership in increasing the under- 
standing and development of rangeland 
resources, resulting in increased income 
to livestock producers in Florida, the 
southern United States, and Central 
America. 

Achievement by Support Personnel 
PAUL L. CLARK, FS. Malad City. 
Idaho — For extraordinary services in ad- 
ministering the range resource on the 
Curlew National Grasslands. 

WILLIAM J. COYKENDALL, C&MS, 
San Francisco, Calif. — For excellence In 
providing centralized reproduction and 
distribution services to program offices 
of the Consumer and Marketing Service 
in the San Francisco area. 

LORETTA B. GIORDANO, C&MS, 
Arlington, Va. — For extremely competent 



performance of duties far exceeding nor- 
mal grade requirements, and for out- 
standing contributions in developing a^ 
new approach to detecting compliance -- 
irregularities under the Food Stamp 
Program. - , . r ^ 

MOLLIE J. ILER, IADS, Washington, 
D.C. — For substantial contribution to 
USDA overseas activities while serving 
as administrative assistant in attache 
posts abroad, and as secretary to the 
administrator of the International Agri- 
cultural Development Service. 

MARY C. KEEGAN, SCS, Temple, 
Tex. — For superior secretarial assistance 
which resulted in exceptional efficiency 
in the office of the Texas State Conser- 
vationist and contributed materially 
to effective conservation operations 
throughout the State. 

PEGGY M. OSUGA, C&MS, Denver. 
Colo. — For noteworthy contributions to 
the Livestock Market News and Meat 
Grading Programs in Colorado through 
continued excellence in supervising the 
clerical and administrative functions of 
the Livestock Consolidated Office in 
Denver. 

SANTOS A. SANDOVAL, C&MS, Los 
Angeles, Calif. — For exceptional initia- 
tive and sustained superior performance 
in improving effectiveness of the Food 
Stamp Program with special recognition 
for ability to establish and maintain 
good communications with Spanish- 
speaking residents. 

Heroic Action 
WILLIAM J. BADEN, FS, Bakersfield, 
Calif. — For courageous action in rescu- 
ing a dying pilot from a crashed and 
burning helicopter. 

NATHANIEL E. FINE, FES, Phan 
Thiet, Vietnam — For extreme bravery, 
though wounded and under constant 
enemy fire, in providing covering fire to 
help rescue a nine-man Free World 
medical team during the Tet Offensive 
in South Vietnam. 

DONATO GONZALES, ASCS, Brigh- 
ton, Colo. — For unusual corn-age and 
competence, without consideration for 
his own life, in rescuing and reviving a 
farm owner who was overcome by insec- 
ticide fumes while fumigating a grain 
bin. 

WILBUR L. RUSSELL, C&MS, Mem- 
phis, Tenn. — For courageous action in 
reporting and cooperating with officials 
to expose a bribery conspiracy which 
prevented untold monetary loss to the 
Government and led to the conviction 
of the conspirators. 



Group Achievement 

ATHENS WORK UNIT, SCS, Athens. 
Tex.— ;-For technical assistance to local 
people, resulting in an effective soil, 
water, and plant conservation program 
which significantly improved economic 
conditions of farm families and rural 
communities. 

EDDY^ COUNTY TECHNICAL AC- 
JlC^i^ApEL,.. Carlsbad, N. Mex. — For 
* in'raMplB^erVices rendered to residents 
of Eddy County in planning and imple- 
menting social and economic develop- 
ment projects. 

FIREFIGHTING UNIT, FS, Santa 
Barbara, Calif. — For courageous group 
action in rescuing an injm-ed pilot from 
a crashed helicopter in the path of a 
wildfire. 

FLAME RESISTANT COTTON RE- 
SEARCH GROUP, ARS, New Orleans, 
La. — For bi-illiant research leading to 
the discovery of a new, durable flame re- 
tardant, and to its application to light- 
weight cottons to produce flame retard- 
ant fabrics with 100 percent tensile 
strength retention and excellent hand. 

PUERTO RICO PROJECT, ARS, Rio 
Piedras, Puerto Rico — For raising agri- 
cultural productivity of steep lands in 
Puerto Rico; developing agricultural 
management systems for intensive crop 
production in the humid tropics; and 
contributing leadership to Latin Amer- 
ican agricultural agencies. 

SUMTER COUNTY TECHNICAL AC- 
TION PANEL, Bushnell, Fla. — For pro- 
viding exemplary leadership to the peo- 
ple of Sumter County, Fla., in identifying 
rural problems and in making the serv- 
ices of all agencies more effective in 
solving these problems. 



1969 JUMP MEMORIAL AWARD 

The William A. Jump Memorial 
Award is presented annually to Federal 
employees under age 37 in recognition 
of outstanding service in the field of pub- 
lic administration. The Award is given 
in memory of William A. Jump, who for 
many years was the distinguished Budg- 
et and Finance Officer of the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. This year's winners 
are: 

CLAYTON E. McMANAWAY, Jr., co- 
ordinator of planning, civil operations, 
and revolutionary development support, 
Vietnam, Agency for International De- 
velopment — For outstanding contribu- 
tions in Vietnam to the success of Op- 
eration Recovery following the Viet Cong 
Tet Offensive, to the Accelerated Paci- 
fication Campaign, and to the establish- 
ment of the Central Pacification and De- 
velopment Council. 

DAVID A. SWANKIN, director. Bu- 
reau of Labor Staridards, Wage and 
Labor Standards Administration, De- 
partment of Labor — For exceptional 
performance in improving occupational 
safety and health standards of wage 
earners and in organizing work to pro- 
tect consumer interests. 



Attache to Turkey Named 

Dr. Harry R. Varney was recently 
named as agricultural attache on the 
staff of the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, 
Turkey. He replaces Joseph R. Williams 
who returned to Washington, D.C, for 
reassignment. 

Varney, who joined the Foreign Agri- 
cultural Service in 1957, has served as 
attache to Indonesia, Sweden, Pakistan, 
and the Republic of South Africa. 




WINN F. FINNER (left), As- 
sociate Administrator, Con- 
sumer and Marketing Serv- 
ice, and E. R. Draheim, 
Office of Personnel, discuss 
the 1969 National Savings 
Bond Campaign with tele- 
vision star, Eva Gabor. 
Miss Gabor, Honorary 
Chairman, was in Wash- 
ington, D.C, to attend a 
kick-off rally. Draheim is 
"technical assistant" to 
Secretary Hardin for 
USDA's participation in the 
campaign which got under- 
way in April. Since then, 
412 new bond buyers 
have joined USDA's pay- 
roll savings bond plan. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



JUNE 5, 1969 



Vol. XXVIll No, 12 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058. 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43 — 350-138 U.S. covebnment pbintino office 



my Cop.3 DC BRANCH 



vAi^ 







j-/.islf«=^^=a 




flllfflffll 



EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVIII NO. 14 
JULY 3, 1969 



USDA Clubs Promote 
Getting To Know You 

In 1920, Edwin T. Meredith, then Sec- 
retary of Agriculture, made a dismaying 
discovery when he visited USDA offices 
during a cross-country trip. He found 
that employees of some offices were not 
acquainted with the employees of other 
USDA offices in the same city. Some had 
but casual knowledge of other Depart- 
ment agencies: some did not even know 
their agency was a part of the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture. 

Secretary Meredith, determined to al- 
leviate this situation, suggested that De- 
partment employees form local organi- 
zations in field centers for the purpose 
of getting to know each other and to 
leam of each others work and the work 
of the Department. 

Thus was born the USDA Club pro- 
gram. 

The first USDA Club was formed in 
San Francisco in 1920. Others blossomed 
in Denver, Albuquerque, New York City, 
and Portland, Oreg., until by 1926 there 
were 29 clubs in 22 States. 

In the following years, USDA Clubs 
had their ups and downs. In 1939, only 
six clubs were active. Intensive organiz- 
ing activity brought the number of clubs 
to a peak of 87 shortly after World War 
II. This number dropped to 20 in 1961. 
Through the Interest of Joseph Robert- 
son, Assistant Secretary for Administra- 
tion, and Carl B. Barnes, Office of Per- 
sonnel Director, the number doubled to 
the present 41 active clubs. 

All USDA personnel working in the 
club areas are eligible for membership. 
This includes those with collaborator or 
agent appointments and those employed 
part-time. Persons not employed by the 
Department may also be members at the 
invitation of the club. In Dallas, for in- 
stance, the USDA Club membership is a 
cross section of community leaders in 
agriculture and home economics — 
bankers, farmers, educators, commercial 
firms, public seiwice companies, lawyers, 
and USDA personnel. 

The character of USDA Clubs reflects 
the varied interests and work assign- 
ments of USDA employees. This variety 




USDA CLUB INSIGNIA shows the seal of the 
Department of Agriculture surrounded by six 
bars denoting the six objectives of the program. 

is evident in the Atlanta club where the 
400 members represent 10 USDA 
agencies. 

Under general supervision of the Of- 
fice of Personnel, the programs, activi- 
ties, and organization of the clubs are 
tailored to the needs of individual club 
locality. Several clubs conduct employee 
welfare-type activities — group trips, 
buyers clubs, and recreational facilities. 

The Jackson, Miss., club has sponsored 
pre-retirement planning sessions for 
members. A number of clubs. Including 
those in Minneapolis and Kansas City, 
hold ceremonies for annual employee 
awards presentations. Many clubs issue 
directories of local USDA and USDA 
Club activities, facilitating proper han- 
dling of public inquiries and promoting 
liaison between Department employees. 

Monthly club meetings often include 
speakers from the Washington or re- 
gional offices, project or research lead- 
ers, and local agency heads. In fact, 
USDA Club officials are authorized to 
contact Department officials at all levels 
to arrange for their services as speakers 
or other assistance in carrying out club 
activities. 

Often, too, farmers and others in the 
public are invited to speak at club meet- 
ings to present ways in which they feel 
the Department might better ser\-e them. 

Within this flexible and varied pro- 
gram, USDA Club objectives remain the 
same as intended by Secretary Meredith. 
Formally stated, these are : (1 > To stim- 



LOVVORN DESIGNATED 
CSRS ADMINISTRATOR 

Secretary Hardin recently announced 
the appointment of Dr. Roy Lee Lov- 
vorn as Administrator of the Coopera- 
tive State Research Service. As Adminis- 
trator, Dr. LovA'orn will oversee Federal 
grant programs for agricultural research 
in 50 States and Puerto Rico. 

Dr. Lowom has been Director of Re- 
search for the School of Agriculture and 
Life Sciences at North Carolina State 
University, Raleigh. Earlier he served 
as a county agent in Missouri, as an 
agronomist with the Soil Conservation 
Service, and then as professor and Di- 
rector of Instruction in the School of 
Agriculture at North Carolina State. He 
served for a time as head of weed In- 
vestigations for the Agricultural Re- 
search Service in Beltsville, Md. He also 
has been a consultant on agricultural 
research to the Governments of Brazil, 
Peru, and India. 

Dr. Lovvorn was born at Woodland, 
Ala. He earned his B.S. degree in agron- 
omy at Auburn University, his M.S. at 
the University of Missouri, and his Ph. D. 
in agronomy from the University of 
Wisconsin in 1942. 

In 1959. Dr. Lovvorn was honored by 
The Progressive Farmer magazine as 
"Man of the Year in Service to Agricul- 
ture," and in 1968 he received the "Dis- 
tinguished Service to Agriculture" award 
of Gamma Sigma Delta, agricultural 
honorary society. 

He is a Fellow of the American Associ- 
ation for the Advancement of Science, 
the American Society of Agronomy and 
past president of Gamma Sigma Delta. 

ulate and increase knowledge of the work 
of the Department among the employ- 
ees; (2) To assist through personal con- 
tact the interpretation of the Depart- 
ment's services to the public; (3) To 
provide a channel for the Department's 
many activities to be informally corre- 
lated for the best possible sen-ice to the 
public: (4) To stimulate training and 
education among employees: ^5^ To de- 
velop personal acquaintances among 
employees; (6) To promote employee 
welfare. 



Pesticide Effects Studied 

Persistent pesticides and their effects 
on man, agriculture, and the environ- 
ment is the subject of a report recently 
released by Secretary Hardin. The re- 
port was prepared at the request of 
USDA by a committee of the National 
Academy of Sciences-National Research 
Council. 

In general, the report pointed to ade- 
quate protection of man's food and 
health under the present systems of 
controls. However, the report recom- 
mended expanded research leading to 
the development of new pesticidal chem- 
icals and techniques for using them, and 
the strengthening of the regulation and 
monitoring of persistent pesticides to 
provide long-range protection for wild- 
life and the overall environment. 

"The committee's appraisal of the sit- 
uation relating to persistent pesticides 
appears to be reasonable and balanced," 
Secretary Hardin said. "Its conclusions 
and recommendations imply some 
changes in Department programs that 
will require some additional time for 
full evaluation." 

The NAS-NRC committee of 15 sci- 
entists conducted an 18-month study 
under a 1967 contract by the Agricul- 
tural Research Sei-vice. The committee 
heard 83 principal witnesses from scien- 
tific and conservation organizations, in- 
dustry, universities, and government 
agencies. 



Farrington Named ASCS 
Deputy Administrator 

Carl C. Farrington, Minneapolis, 
Minn., has been named Deputy Adminis- 
trator for Commodity Operations of the 
Agricultural Stabilization and Conserva- 
tion Service. 

Farrington brings to ASCS many years 
of experience in all phases of commodity 
operations, including nearly 20 years 
with USDA. He was an assistant admin- 
istrator in charge of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation and a CCC vice- 
president when he left in 1948 to 
manage the Grain Division of Archer- 
Daniels-Midland Co., Minneapolis. 

In returning to the Department, 
Farrington will be responsible for pro- 
curement and sales and inventory man- 
agement operations carried out by the 
ASCS. The major part of these opera- 
tions involve inventories acquired by the 
CCC in its price-support operations. 




BENNIE RICHARD (left), 
construction supervisor 

for the self-help housing 
development at Batchelor, 
La., discusses the project 
with (left to right) Nimrod 
Andrews, county super- 
visor for the Farmers Home 
Administration; Jim Binder, 
president of the Batchelor 
Self-Help Homes Associa- 
tion; and members of one 
of eight families who built 
their own homes with as- 
sistance from the FHA. 



FHA AND THE SELF-HELP HOMEBUILDERS 



Eight low-income rural families of 
Batchelor, La., combined their muscle 
power with loan funds from the Farm- 
ers Home Administration to construct 
attractive and comfortable homes for 
themselves. 

■While FHA county supervisor Nimrod 
Andrews completed loan dockets on the 
families, Bemiie Richard, an experienced 
builder from New Roads, La., instructed 
the families in basic carpentry and other 
skills in homebuilding. Richard also 
served as construction supervisor as the 
Batchelor families did most of the con- 
struction on their homes — and saved 
more than $3,000 each. FHA advanced 
loans of $6,400 to each family to buy ma- 
terials and pay contracted costs on the 
brick veneer, ranch-style homes, valued 
up to $10,300. 

Each family will have 33 years to re- 
pay the loans at $34 monthly, just 
slightly more than some rents on the 
weatherbeaten shacks from which they 
moved. For many of the children, the 



PLENTIFUL FOODS 

USDA's July list. Featured are fresh 
peaches. Other plentifuls include: Rice, 
suvnner vegetables, and ivatermelons. 



Research Center Dedicated 

The new U.S. Meat Animal Research 
Center at Clay Center, Nebr., was re- 
cently dedicated by Secretary Hardin. 

■Work at the Center will be conducted 
by the Agricultural Research Service 
and the Nebraska Agricultural Experi- 
ment Station, and will cover animal 
science, livestock engineering, meat 
technology, and forage and range re- 
search on beef cattle, sheep, and hogs. 

The research program is being de- 
veloped with the aid of an advisoiT com- 
mittee composed of Federal, State, and 
industry representatives. The program 
will complement and enlarge research 
conducted by Federal and State agencies. 

The 35,000-acre Center, which was 
authorized in June 1964, has been 
stocked with foundation herds of 3,500 
beef cattle and 2,500 sheep. Foundation 
herds of hogs will be added as soon as 
housing is available. 



new homes mean they will enjoy the 
comfort of an inside bathroom and 
water for the first time as well as a 
snug home. 

To mark completion of the housing 
project, FHA Administrator James V. 
S7nith recently traveled to the east- 
central Louisiana community for dedi- 
cation of the new homes. He presented 
a large symbolic key to Jim Binder, 
president of the Batchelor Self-Help 
Homes Association, and used the oc- 
casion to give a gold-painted shovel to 
another group of self-help families who 
were scheduled to break ground the fol- 
lowing day on their development at 
■Valverda, La. 



Secretary of Agriculture 
Is Member of New Council 

President Nixon recently appointed a 
special Cabinet-level council to develop 
ways of halting "the declining quality 
of the American environment." 

The eight-member group, called the 
Committee on Environmental Quality, 
was charged with developing programs 
and technology for preventing man from 
fouling his surroundings. 

The Council will be composed of the 
■Vice President and the Secretaries of 
Agriculture; Commerce; Health, Educa- 
tion, and 'Welfare; Housing and Urban 
Development; Interior; and Transpor- 
tation. The President will preside over 
its meetings. 

Dr. Lee A. Dubridge, the President's 
chief adviser on science and technology, 
will serve as executive director. He said 
the priority of the Council will be given 
to problems such as air pollution, dis- 
posal of solid wastes, and to studies to 
determine if DDT and other insecticides 
have intolerable side-effects. Later stud- 
ies would concentrate on improving or 
finding a substitute for the internal 
combustion engine for automobiles to 
eliminate smog-generating exhausts. 



2 



FS COMMEMORATES 
DARING EXPLOIT 

Campfires are twinkling again in the 
same natural setting where 100 years 
ago Major John Wesley Powell and his 
men braved the unknown canyons and 
rapids of two of the West's mightiest 
rivers — the Green and the Colorado. 

This summer visitors to the Flaming 
Gorge National Recreation Area can re- 
trace history along part of the explorers' 
route. At the popular recreation spot 
on the Ashley National Forest in eastern 
Utah, Forest Service personnel have 
identified and marked campsites used 
by Powell and his nine-man crew. Ex- 
hibits describing the harrowing journey 
are on display at visitors centers; camp- 
fire programs feature the Disney movie. 
"Ten Who Dared," based on Powell's 
exploits. 

Within the boundaries of the recrea- 
tion area are colorful and stately 
canyons described in Powell's journal 
and still bearing the names he gave 
them — Flaming Gorge, Horseshoe. Red, 
and Kingfisher. 

It was on May 24, 1869, that Powell, a 
noted geologist and Civil War hero, left 
with his men from Green River City, 
Wyo. They headed down the turbulent 
Green River aboard four sturdy, spe- 



AWARDS 

DR. ERLING D. SOLBERG, a pioneer 
re>^earclier in rural land planning and 
zoning, was recently awarded a Citation 
of Merit by the American Scenic and His- 
torii- Preservation Society. 

In making the presentation, the .Society 
noted that Dr. .Solberg "lias done more 
than anyone else in the codification of 
County, Town, and Rural zoning ordi- 
nances and statutes in order that our land 
heritage can best be preserved in conjunc- 
tion with urban development.'* 

Dr. Solberg, who retired in 1968 after 
30 years with the Economic Research 
Service and its predecessor agencies, has 
long been one of the .\ation''s most widely 
known authorities on rural land zoning 
regulations, forest crop laws, and land- 
use controls. 

.4 prolific writer. Dr. Solberg had more 
than 60 publications to his credit at the 
time of his retirement. For the past vear, 
he has worked as a re-employed annui- 
tant to complete a major manuscript he 
started several years ago. 

FLOYD IVERSON, regional forester of 
the Forest Service's Intermountain Region 
in Ogden, Utah, is the winner of a 1969 
American Motors (Conservation .Award. 

The awards are presented annually to 
10 professional and 10 non-professional 
con«er>aiioni«ts for dedicated efforts in 
the field of renewable natural resources. 

Iver^on, along with the other winners, 
recei>ed a bronze medallion from .Ameri- 
can Motors' hoard chairman, Roy I). 
Chapin. Jr., at a recent ceremonv in 
\\a>liinglon, D.C. 

Iverson also received a S500 hono- 
rarium accompanying the award. 




cially constructed boats. The party's 
goals were to explore, survey, and map 
the miknown country along the Green 
and Colorado. 

Three months later — on August 29, 
1869 — the epic, 1,000-mile river journey 
ended when the men emerged from the 
Grand Canyon of the Colorado in 
northern Arizona. The story of this 
perilous trip through spectacular, mile- 
deep canyons, raging rapids, and hostile 
Indian country, is one of America's most 
exciting true adventure tales. 

In 1881 Powell became director of the 
U.S. Geological Survey. He later served 
as head of the Reclamation Bureau of 



A 6CENT POSTAGE STAMP 
fionoring John Wesley 
Powell will be issued Au- 
gust 1 at Page, Ariz, near 
the lake that bea s his 
name. Design of the stamp 
was unveiled on May 24 at 
Green River, Wyo., whsre 
Powell's 3-month journey 
began 100 years before. 
The stamp was designed 
by Rudolph Wendelin, 
USDA artist assigned to the 
Forest Service in Washing- 
ton, D.C. This is the fourth 
postage stamp designed by 
Wendelin, well-known for 
his work as the Smokey 
Bear artist. 



the Interior Department and as director 
of the Bureau of Ethnology at the 
Smithsonian Institution. 

Powell's daring journey and his later 
work and writings led to further 
explorations that helped build the 
foundation for land reform and land 
conservation programs. By encouraging 
establishment of forest preserves in the 
public domain, he was a pioneer in 
promoting the National Forest System. 

Thanks to the courage and foresight 
of the remarkable Major Powell, Ameri- 
cans of 1969 are enjoying the same 
magnificent vistas of river and canyon 
he saw a century ago. 




THE VIVID SCENERY and swift waters of the Red Canyon Gorge of the Green River in Utah lay on the 
route of the Powell expedition. In some places. Powell's men manuevered their boats through river 
currents of up to 20 miles an hour. 



3 



USDA Goes to Camp 

In the kitchen of a summer camp near 
Annapohs, Md., the camp cook prepares 
a meal for 400 young appetites whetted 
by fresh air, swimming, and hiking. In- 
cluded in the tasty, filling, and nutri- 
tious meal are cheese, peanut butter, 
chopped meat, and rice. These foods, as 
well as the flour, corn meal, butter, and 
several other foods in the kitchen larder, 
were donated to the camp by USDA. 

This year USDA will help thousands 
of non-profit summer camps for chil- 
dren to improve the nutrition of their 
feeding operations with about $2,600,000 
worth of food. 

With some 1,500,000 children expected 
to attend 6,900 camps this y6ar, the 
Commodity Distribution Division of the 
Consumer and Marketing Service has 
been alerting camp directors and man- 
agers of USDA services focusing on im- 
proved feeding and child nutrition. 

Besides the foods already mentioned, 
dry beans, bulgur, corn grits, lard ''short- 
ening, nonfat dry milk, rolled oats, and 
rolled wheat are available from C&MS. 




C. B. BARNES 



BARNES WINS 
STOCKBERGER AWARD 

Carl B. Barnes, 
USDA's Director 
of Personnel, re- 
ceived the Warn- 
er W. Stockberg- 
er Achievement 
Award in recent 
ceremonies held 
in Washington, 
D.C. 

The award, the 
highest in the 
field of personnel 
administration, is presented annually by 
the Society for Personnel Administra- 
tion to the person judged to have made 
the greatest contribution in the field of 
personnel management. The award is 
named for Warner W . Stockberger, a 
pioneer in personnel administration in 
the Federal Government and first USDA 
personnel director. 

The Stockberger Award cited Barnes 
for "his exceptional accomplishments in 
personnel management that have made 
the Department of Agriculture an 
outstanding model in the field and 
have significantly influenced personnel 
practices throughout the Federal 
Government." 

USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

JULY 3, 1969 Vol, XXVIII No, 14 




Sfe, 




SWtMMING RANKS AS the favorite summer camp activity. However, cooks at summer camps for 
children will agree: Mealtime is a close second. 



The donated foods are delivered free at 
central locations in the States. 

All camps receiving Federal foods 



WHAT TOOLS DO YOU USE 
FOR DIGGING UP ANSWERS? 

Every business day, in-boxes of De- 
partment employees are flooded with 
letters asking questions as: "What agri- 
cultural information is available on the 
countries on the Balkan Peninsula?" Or 
"What are some leading farm maga- 
zines?" Or "What are some recipes for 
making corn whisky and how many 
'stills' were smashed last year?" 

Answering questions is an essential 
USDA function in serving John Q. Pub- 
lic. But sometimes a question requires 
doing research. 

Just as a carpenter works better wlien 
he knows the names of his tools, you can 
work better if you know the names of 
reference tools. 

Robert L. Birch, an agricultural li- 
brarian and USDA Graduate School in- 
structor, recently compiled a list of 
first-step references that make info- 
digging easier. 

Listed below are a few of these com- 
monplace tools. 

<i> Subject Guide to Books in Print. 
This bibliography lists books now on the 
U.S. market by subject and title. 

(2) Encyclopedia of Ainerican Asso- 
ciations. This listing gives a description 
and location, using a key word of the 
title, of associations for or against al- 
most anything. 

(3) Facts on File. Gives highly con- 
densed bone-up material on almost any- 
thing that has been in the headlines; 
includes an index. For Instance, "Nixon 
farm statement" is under the heading 
"Agriculture." 



must comply with the Civil Rights Act 
of 1964 in that no child may be denied 
admission because of race, color, or na- 
tional origin. 

To help their food service personnel, 
summer camps may use USDA booklets 
or fact sheets for donated foods, giving 
recipes, storage information, and tips 
for buying and using foods that are in 
plentiful supply. 

(4) Current Biography. A brief profile 
on anyone who has been in the news but 
has not yet been enshrined in "Who's 
Who," including their office and resi- 
dence address. 

(5) New York Times Index. An index 
to articles in the New York Times on 
any person or subject covered. Also gives 
approximate date same story was car- 
ried in other newspapers. 

(6) Agricultural Statistics. Includes 
detailed tables and statistics on crops, 
exports, food costs, etc. 

(7) Yearbook of Agriculture. Each 
year a different topic is explored. The 
1962 volume, "After A Hundred Years," 
is a history of the Department and a 
round-up of its programs. 

(S) Bibliography of Agriculture. An 
index to agricultural literature from 
all over the world. Th^e "B-of-A" also 
includes a checklist of new Depart- 
ment and State experiment station 
publications. 

(9) Literature of Agricultural Re- 
search. Probably the best guide to ag 
research literature. 

So the next time you are asked a 
question, find the answer quickly and 
pleasantly. If your office doesn't have 
many reference books handy or if you 
aren't near USDA's National Agricul- 
tural Library, check the reference sec- 
tion of your local library. 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
zet USDA. Please write iT}stead of phoning whenever possible: for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. LUlie Vincent. Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington. D.C. 20250. 



4 



c43~353-l70 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 







EMPi OYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVIII NO. 15 
JULY 17, 1969 



GOOD FOOD IS 
AN ADDED ATTRACTION 

Thousands of needy youngsters taking 
part in summer recreation programs are 
finding that summertime is better than 
ever this year. It is better because of a 
new USDA food service program which 
offers an added attraction to the young- 
sters' recreation and fun — tasty and 
nutritious meals and between-meal 
snacks. 

The Special Food Service Program for 
Children is a 3-year pilot program au- 
thorized by a 1968 amendment to the 
National School Lunch Act. Its goal is 
to improve the nutrition of pre-scTiool 
and school-age children by helping pro- 
vide snacks and up to three meals a 
day to youngsters in out-of-school 
activities. 

Under the new program, which is ad- 
ministered by the Consumer and Mar- 
keting Service cooperatively with State 
agencies, foods for use in meal prepara- 
tion as well as cash reimbursements for 
the meals are provided by USDA. Maxi- 
mum reimbursement is 15 cents for each 
breakfast, 30 cents for each lunch or 
supper, and 10 cents for between-meal 
snacks. 

Major metropolitan areas, smaller 
cities, and communities across the coun- 
try are operating summer recreation 
programs. In as many of these as possi- 
ble, USDA's Special Food Service Pro- 
gram tor children is helping provide the 
youngsters from low-income families 
with nutritious food. Public and non- 
profit private participants eligible for 
the program include summer day camps, 
school-sponsored recreation programs, 
and similar recreation programs. 

The program is not, however, limited 
to summer or recreation programs. Day- 
care centers, settlement houses, and 
recreation centers that provide day-care 
for children in low-income areas or 
from areas with many working mothers 
may also apply. 




iV 



NATIONAL ftGRICUlT 

I JUL 

CURrSt SERIAL RECOROS 




SAN DIEGO, TEX., launched the first Special 
Food Service Program for Children in the 
Southwest on June 2. Approximately 500 
youngsters receive free breakfast and lunch at 
the school cafeteria during a summer recreation 
program. 



Todav, the livestock and meat industry 
produces 12 billion MORE POL.NDS OF 
ME.AT than 20 years ago. This provides 
an additional 29 pounds of meat per per- 
son to a population that has increased by 
53 million people. 



REA YOUTH TOUR 
A THOUSAND STRONG 

One thousand high school juniors, 
from 26 States, visited Washington, 
D.C., recently as guests of their home 
community rural electric cooperatives. 

These young people were chosen to 
take the Amiual Rural Electrification 
Administration Youth Tour through 
competitive examinations conducted by 
their local electric cooperatives in con- 
junction with area high schools. 

The State groups visited USDA and 
the Rural Electrification Administra- 
tion. They were shown special displays 
in the USDA Administration Building 
Patio, taken on a short tour, and enter- 
tained with a slide presentation, "A 
Look Into the Future." 

In addition the groups visited many 
of their congressmen and senators, the 
White House, and scenic and historic 
sites in the Washington area. 

REA Administrator David A. Hamil 
greeted several of the groups in his office 
and was a guest speaker at one of their 
meetings. 



Adamson Named 
Deputy Assistant Secretary 

Secretary Hardin recently announced 
appointment of Elin?i A. Adamson, a 
member of Nebraska's unicameral leg- 
islature since 1961 and its former speak- 
er, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Marketing and Consumer Services. 

Adamson is president and part owner 
of a 23,000-acre cattle ranch near Valen- 
tine, Nebr., where he was born and 
reared. He attended Nebraska State 
Teachers College at Chadron and the 
University of Colorado before receiving 
his A.B. degree in political science and 
economics from the University of 
Nebraska in 1940. 

He is president of the Nebraska Stock 
Growers Association and a member 
of the American National Cattlemen's 
Association. 



Secretary Appoints Two 
As FHA State Directors 

Secretary Hardin recently appointed 
Douglas W. Young, a mortgage credit 
specialist, as State director of the Farm- 
ers Home Administration for California. 

At the same time, the Secretary ap- 
pointed Kenneth L. Bowen as FHA State 
director for Nebraska. 

In his new position. Young also will be 
responsible for FHA activity in Nevada 
and Hawaii. Throughout the three 
States the agency administers a program 
of loans and grants for family farms 
as well as for housing and community 
facilities in rural areas. 

Before joining a Bakersfield broker- 
age firm in 1966, Young worked for 8 
years as appraiser, field representative, 
and assistant office manager of the Fed- 
eral Land Bank and Production Credit 
Association. 

Bowen, as new Nebraska FHA State 
dn-ector, will administer loan programs 
for family farm operations and for hous- 
ing and community facilities which last 
year totaled nearly $30 million. 

Since 1967, Bowen has been executive 
secretary and treasurer of the League 
of Nebraska Municipalities. 



WANT TO BUILD A HOUSE? 
HERE'S HOW— 

Shelter is still one of mankind's three 
basic needs, and the new Forest Service 
how-to-do-it manual, "Low-Cost Wood 
Homes for Rural America," gives all the 
answers for constructing an inexpensive 
shelter. 

Step by step, from initial selection of 
the site to refinements of interior finish, 
construction of a low-cost house is de- 
tailed in this new handbook for the 
prospective homeowner. 

The booklet was prepared by LeRoy 
Anderson, wood structural engineer at 
the Forest Products Laboratory at 
Madison, Wis., and helped earn for its 
author a USDA Superior Service Award 
recently. The booklet's introduction 
states its dedication to "making eco- 
nomical, improved housing more readily 
available to the rural families of 
America." This guideline is followed 
throughout. 

A glossary of housing terms is included 
for the layman who has difficulty telling 
the professional lumber and hardware 
merchants what he wants. 

"Low-Cost Wood Homes for Rural 
America — Construction Manual" (Agri- 
culture Handbook No. 364) is for sale by 
the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Printing Office, Washing- 
ton, D.C. 20402. The price is $1. 



USDA Food for Flood Victims 

Thousands of people in seven Cali- 
fornia counties recently benefited from 
trSDA-donated food, prepared and 
served to them by local disaster-relief 
agencies and volunteers. These people 
were the victims of extensive floods this 
past winter and spring which left them 
displaced, homeless, and without food 
and facilities for feeding themselves. 

As soon as the California crisis sub- 
sided, disaster moved eastward. Near- 
record snowpack began to melt in the 
Rockies and the Midwest with predic- 
tions of a Midwest flood crisis much 
more extensive than the one in 
California. 

USDA workers prepared to face it by 
storing USDA food throughout the 
threatened areas — at several locations 
in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, 
Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, and Missouri. 

The first need came in Sioux City, 
Iowa. There USDA food was requested 
to feed 200 high school volunteers who 
worked to sandbag the Missouri River. 
The most critical site was Minot, N. Dak., 
where the floods left more than 1,600 
persons homeless. 

An estimated 140,000 pounds of USDA 
food was provided during the Midwest 
flood crisis. 



GENERAL SCHEDULE - 5 U.S.C. 5332(a) 


GS 


1 


2 


3 


4 


5 


6 


7 


8 


9 


10 




$ 3889 


$4019 


$4T49 


$ 4279 


$ 4408 


$ 4538 


$ 4668 


$ 4798 


$ 4928 


$ 5057 




4360 


4505 


4650 


4795 


4940 


5085 


5230 


5375 


5520 


5665 




4917 


5081 


5245 


5409 


5573 


5737 


5901 


6065 


6229 


6393 




5522 


5706 


5890 


6074 


6258 


6442 


6626 


6810 


6994 


7178 




6176 


6382 


6588 


6794 


7000 


7206 


7412 


761 8 


7824 


8030 




6882 


7 111 


7340 


7569 


7798 


8027 


8256 


8485 


8714 


8943 




7639 


7894 


8149 


8404 


8659 


8914 


9169 


9424 


9679 


9934 




8449 


8731 


9013 


9295 


9577 


9859 


10141 


10423 


10705 


10987 




9320 


9631 


9942 


10253 


10564 


10875 


1 1186 


11497 


1 1808 


12119 


10 


10252 


10594 


10936 


11278 


1 1620 


11962 


12304 


12646 


12988 


13330 




1 1233 


1 1607 


1 1981 


12355 


12729 


13103 


13477 


13851 


14225 


14599 


12 


13389 


13835 


14281 


14727 


15173 


15619 


16065 


1651 1 


16957 


17403 


13 


15812 


16339 


16866 


17393 


17920 


18447 


18974 


19501 


20028 


20555 


14 


18531 


19149 


19767 


20385 


21003 


21621 


22239 


22857 


23475 


24093 


15 


21589 


22309 


23029 


23749 


24469 


25189 


25909 


26629 


27349 


28069 


16 


25044 


25879 


26714 


27549 


28384 


29219 


30054 


30889 


31724 




17 


28976 


29942 


30908 


31874 


32840 


Generol Schedole-Efleclive July 13, 1969 | 


18 


33495 










USDA-OK.ce o 


( Personne 




1 



July Brings Pay Increase and Program Revisions 



A pay increase for employees and 
major revisions in three Government- 
wide programs all became effective this 
month. 

The pay increase is the last of three 
salary adjustments authorized by the 
Federal Salary Act of 1967. Previous in- 
creases under this Act were in October 
1967 and July 1968. The increase affects 
about 2 million full-time employees 
with rates of increase ranging from 3 
percent to 10.8 percent. The overall in- 
crease for employees in the General 
Schedule averages 9.1 percent. 

For most USDA employees, the salary 




increase became effective as of July 13, 
the first full pay period after July 1. 

The program revisions affect the Merit 
Promotion Policy, the Federal Incentive 
Awards Program and discrimination 
complaints procedures,. 

Emphasis of the new Merit Promotion 
Policy is placed on giving all employees 
the chance to receive full consideration 
for promotion; using the most effective 
rating methods to identify highly quali- 
fied candidates for promotion; selecting 
from among the best qualified; and 
keeping employees well informed about 
the program and their own promotional 
opportunities. 

Significant revision of the Govern- 
mentwide Incentive Awards Program 
streamlines and clarifies the program; 
establishes higher minimums for cash 
awards; and helps achieve consistency 
among agencies in its administration. 

New procedures for processing com- 
plaints of discrimination on grounds of 
race, color, religion, sex, or national 
origin have as basic objectives: To pro- 
vide maximum opportunity for informal 
resolution of problems- which might re- 
sult in complaints; to guarantee a fair 
and impartial hearing by a trained ap- 
peals examiner when a hearing is re- 
quired; and to speed up the entire com- 
plaint process. 



ED JONES directs USDA's consumer food pro- 
grams in the Sioux City, Iowa, area. When last 
April's floods displaced persons there, relief 
agencies called for USDA commodities to feed 
them. Using his own truck, Jones helped dis- 
tribute approximately 6,000 pounds of this food 
throughout the disaster period. 



Farmers borrowed less mortfiiiSt' nioney 
from major lending groups in 1968 than 
in 1967; and unless current liigli interest 
and compelition from urban borrowers 
rela.x, the downtrend will continue this 
year. Volume of new farm mortgage 
money loaned by 19 life insurance firms, 
Federal land banks, and tlie Farmers 
Home .Administration dipped to S1.555 
billion in 1968 and was 21 percent under 
the high mark of 1965, the ECONOMIC 
RESE.ARCH .SERVICE reports. 



Vegetable Co-ops Work 
For Arkansas Farmers 

In the Mississippi River country of 
eastern Arkansas where cotton was king 
and the soybean was its queen, more 
than 700 Negro farmers are on the road 
to economic independence. 

In an effort to become active partici- 
pants in the affluent society, farmers in 
St. Francis and Lee counties are turning 
to the vegetable co-op. In many cases, 
they are using one of the Souths oldest 
crops, okra, as a wedge to raise their 
annual income above the $3,000 level. 
Okra is a green, pod-shaped vegetable 
best known for the flavor it brings to 
gumbo soup. 

Most co-op members are owner-opera- 
tors of small farm tracts. Some are 
workers on large farms and are allowed 
to produce vegetables to increase the 
family's income. 

The progress achieved is seen in the 
operation of the St. Francis County 
Vegetable Growers Cooperative Associa- 
tion, a 200-member organization that 
received a $12,000 economic opportunity 
cooperative loan from the Farmers Home 
Administration in 1965. Before then, 
most farmers in St. Francis County had 
used their land to grow cotton, rice, soy- 
beans, corn, and subsistance livestock. 
Ninety percent were in the low-income 
bracket. 

In 1961, a few farmers signed con- 
tracts to produce okra, cucumbers, and 
peas for supplementary income. How- 
ever, the local market for these crops re- 
mained small. 

In 1965, several farmers discussed 
with a Technical Action Panel (TAP) 
representative the idea of organizing 
and purchasing a marketing facility. 
Following a favorable recommendation 
from the County Technical Action Com- 
mittee, the St. Francis County Vegetable 
Growers Cooperative Association became 
a reality. 

TAP'S are composed of representatives 
of the USDA and other Federal and 
State agencies whose programs benefit 
rural people. 

In its first year, the co-op increased 
production of vegetables by 300,000 
pounds, upped its gross income by about 
$13,000, and processed over 1,000,000 
pounds of okra in a new market shed at 
Forrest City, Ark. Records for January 
1968 show that the Association paid out 
more than $123,000 to okra growers 
alone the year before. 

County FHA supervisor John F. Knox 
says, "The co-op has affected children 
in this area to the point where they no 
longer have to stay out of school to pick 
cotton. They can stay in school 9 months 
out of the year now." 




A SNOW SURVEY CREW travels by "snowcat" to 
snowfall at an SCS snow course in the Sierras. 



measure the depth and moisture content of a new 



SCS Cooperates in Project Sky Water 



"Everybody talks about the weather, 
but nobody does anything about it." The 
Soil Conservation Service is cooperating 
in a project which someday may change 
this old complaint. 

SCS recently installed 15 new snow 
courses in the Jemez and San Pedro 
Mountains in northern New Mexico, one 
of several locations in the West where 
weather modification experiments are 
being conducted by the Bureau of Rec- 

The Lee County Vegetable Growers 
Cooperative Association, an interracial 
organization with a $40,000 FHA loan, 
has brought a strange sight to merchants 
around Marinna, Ark. People who had 
traditionally asked for summer credit 
are now paying cash for the necessities 
of life. 

The people of Lee County, where more 
than half the families had incomes be- 
low $2,000 in 1964, also called on the 
Extension Service, TAP, and the Soil 
Conservation Service for assistance in 
solving a multitude of problems. One of 
the greatest was inadequate marketing 
facilities. In operation since February 
1967, the co-op is now grading and 
shipping okra, peas, and cucumbers to 
market and has a contract with a na- 
tional food concern. In 1968 receipts for 
the Association from okra came to more 
than $110,000. The cucumbers and peas 
added another $56,000. 

In addition to having learned organi- 
zation techniques, the co-ops are pay- 
ing off their loans and covering routine 
costs through fees paid by each farmer 
out of money he earns growing vege- 
tables. Twenty-five receiving stations 
now dot the landscape in an area where 
former have-nots are building bridges to 
a better tomorrow in Arkansas. 



lamation. Site of the new snow courses 
and similar SCS facilities near Steam- 
boat Springs, Colo., and Mount Hood, 
Oreg., are in target areas of "Project 
Sky Water. ' The primary concern of 
this project is the study of man's 
endeavors to increase precipitation 
artifically. 

SCS cooperates in the project by 
gathering snow and rain data for use by 
the Bureau of Reclamation in assessing 
the productivity of cloud-seeding. 

The snow courses are permanently es- 
tablished areas located in high moun- 
tain meadows not subject to freak drifts. 
After each snowfall in "Sky Water" 
areas, SCS snow surveyors go into the 
high mountains to measure the depth 
and water content of the snow. These 
men will take hundreds of snow read- 
ings from early December until the 
spring thaw, as well as readings from 
rain gauges at the sites during the 
summer. 

The teams keeping watch on the "Sky 
Water" snow courses are part of a corps 
of several hundred SCS employees and 
cooperators who measure and report on 
more than 1,500 snow courses in the 
Western States and Alaska. 

The resulting information, released 
to storage regulation agencies, irrigators, 
and other water users weeks to months 
in advance of actual runoff from the 
melting snow, permits advance planning 
for use of available supplies and fore- 
warns of impending floods. 



The Progressive Fanner magazine re- 
eenllv gave its annual "W onian of the 
Year" award to MRS. GILBERT ENG- 
EISH, a member of the State ad\i>or> 
committee of llie Farmers Home Ailmiii- 
i>lration in Nortli Carolina. Mrs. Fngli>h 
received the award for lier long and 
dedicated service to rural people. 



3 



Indiana Student Wins 
Top Science Fair Prize 

Jack Farr II, Mooresville, Ind., re- 
cently won the USDA-OPEDA first prize 
at the 20th International Science Fair 
in Fort Worth, Tex. His high school 
project was entitled, "Chemotype Anal- 
ysis of Drosphila Melanogaster." 

Farr was presented with a certificate 
of merit signed by Secretary Hardin, a 
$75 savings bond, and a summer job offer 
with the Agricultural Research Service. 
Dr. Lewis P. McCann, immediate past 
president of the Organization of Pro- 
fessional Employees of USDA, made the 
presentation. 

Arthur L. Haas III, Shaw, Miss., won 
the USDA second prize of a certificate, 
a $50 bond, and a summer job offer. 

Cheryl M. Engleman, Hazleton, N. 
Dak., won the third prize of a certificate, 
a $25 bond, and a job offer. 

Judges for the special awards by 
USDA-OPEDA were Dr. Stanley P. Row- 
land, ARS, New Orleans, La.; Dr. 
Richard L. Ridgeway, ARS, College Sta- 
tion, Tex.; Dr. McCann, ARS, Washing- 
ton, D.C.; Dr. John C. Moser, Forest 
Service, Alexandria, La.; and Jasper 
Franklin, FS, New Orleans, La. 

About 400 finalists from high schools 
throughout the United States and seven 
foreign countries exhibited science proj- 
ect at the fair, which is the "World 
Series" of science fairs. 

Ten other finalists received certificates 
and summer job offers with ARS or the 
Forest Service: Jmie Elizabeth Bliss, 
Mobile, Ala.; William M. Brooks, Sunny- 
vale, Calif.; La Velton Jaylord Daniel, 
Avera, Ga.; Glenn W. Hanes, Lanham, 
Md.; Larry L. Lockrem, Circle, Mont.; 
William Thomas Mason III, Jackson- 
ville, Fla.; Sherry Lynn Oliver, Bed- 
ford, Va.; Marshall Scott Poole, Amarillo, 
Tex.; Thomas Raymon Popplewell, Mis- 
sion, Tex.; and Ron Sanches, Newman, 
Calif. 



Hardin Dedicates Research Labs 

Secretary Hardin recently dedicated 
the South Plains Cotton Ginning Re- 
search Laboratory at Lubbock, Tex., and 
a new wing of the Southwestern Great 
Plains Research Center at Bushland. 
Both facilities are operated by the Agri- 
cultural Research Service. 

Research at the Bushland facility is 
primarily concerned with soil and water 
conservation. At Lubbock research will 
be aimed at increasing efficiency and 
reducing gin operating costs in the 
handling of High Plains cotton. 




1 



JACK FARR II, Mooresville, Ind., stands before 
his exhibit which took the top USDA prize at 
the 20th International Science Fair, held re- 
cently in Fort Worth, Tex. 



"After-Hours" Courses Available 

More than 30 college level courses will 
be offered to employees in Washington, 
D.C., this summer through the Federal 
After-Hours Education Program. The 
courses, available to civilian and mili- 
tary personnel and other interested in- 
dividuals, will be held in eight downtown 
Federal buildings. 

The "After-Hours" program, coordi- 
nated by the Civil Service Commission's 
Bureau of Training in cooperation with 
George Washington University, offers 
opportunity to enroll in undergraduate 
and graduate courses leading to a 
Bachelor of Science or Master of Science 
Degree. Individuals may also enroll as 
non-degree students. 

Registration for the 7V2 week session 
will be conducted in Conference Room 
D, Department of Commerce lobby, 14th 
and Constitution Avenue NW. from 10 
a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on July 22. Classes will 
begin the week of July 28. Tuition rates 
are $47 per semester hour. 

Your training officer or employee de- 
velopment officer has a listing of the 
various courses offered. Under the Gov- 
ernment Employees Training Act of 
1958, agencies are authorized to pay the 
major cost of tuition if the course is 
designed to help an employee improve 
in his job. 

For further information contact 
Robert W. Stewart, Jr., field representa- 
tive for George Washington University 
(phone 676-7018 or 676-7028) or Ed 
Pinney, CSC coordinator for the "After- 
Hours" program (phone 632-5647 or 
Government Code 101-25647). 



More Areas Designated 
For Food Stamp Program 

Forty-two areas in 17 States were re- 
cently added to USDA's Food Stamp 
Program. These areas, 38 counties and 
4 independent cities, will make food 
stamps available to their low-income 
families as soon as possible. 

Of the 42 areas, 30 do not have any 
USDA family food-aid program for 
needy families, and 8 make USDA family 
food donations available on a partial or 
limited basis. In the remaining 4, USDA 
is presently operating a family food 
donations program. 

When the 42 areas are operating — 
along with other areas in the process of 
starting programs — well over 3 million 
people in 43 States and the District of 
Columbia will be benefiting from food 
stamps. Added to those receiving USDA 
family food donations, this means that 
considerably more than 7 million needy 
persons will soon be benefiting from 
USDA's family food-help programs. 

Presently, 2,717 of the Nation's 3,129 
counties and independent cities are or 
soon will be offering USDA food stamps 
or donated foods to their needy families. 

The Food Stamp Program enables 
eligible low-i:icome families to increase 
their food-purchasing power by invest- 
ing their own food money in Federal 
food coupons ("food stamps") worth 
more than they paid. The coupons are 
spent like cash at retail food outlets au- 
thorized under the program. 



AWARDS 

.ALFRED L. EVERETT, a USDA niicro- 
scopist, was recently named winner of a 
SI. 000 prize from tlie American Leather 
Chemist-s .Association. The prize is for a 
paper he submitted early this year estab- 
lishing the cause of cockle, a sheepskin 
defect that costs the leather and allied 
industries millions of dollars a year. 

Everett works at USDA's Eastern utili- 
zation research laboratory, Wyndmoor, 
Pa. With the cooperation of Dr. Irwin H. 
Roberts, a veterinarian of the Agricultural 
Researcli Service in Albuquerque, N. 
Mex., Everett discovered tliat wingless 
parasitic flies known as keds, or sheep 
ticks, were responsible for the skin defect. 
***** 

G. EARLE HAMERSTRAND, a chemist 
at the Agricultural Researcli Service 
Northern utilization research laboratory, 
Peoria, III., has been named School of 
Applied Arts Scholar for 1969 by the 
Graduate Studies Council at Western 
Michigan University, Kalamazoo. 

Hamerstrand is on a year's leave of 
absence from his ARS position. He re- 
ceived straight A's in 41 hours of gradu- 
ate study in pulp and paper engineering. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

JULY 17, 1969 Vol. XXVIII No. 15 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c-t:i— 355-30G 



.S- GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



M^^U "^P-^ ^^ BRANCH 




Fft/lPI nVFF NFW<5I FTTFR 




VOL. XXVIII NO. 16 
JULY 31, 19 69 




MRS. GENEVIEVE THOMAS and Congressman Lawrence Hogan inspect one of the panels of the 
MUST exhibit depicting her at work. A MUST participant, Mrs. Thomas has full use of all fingers on 
one hand and one finger on the other. She is also confined to a wheelchair. Since ARS redesigned 
a job for her under MUST, she "now has a reason for living." 

Project MUST Highlights Maximum Use of Skills 



An exhibit promoting better use of 
USDA employees was opened the begin- 
ning of this month in the Administra- 
tion Building Patio in Washington, D.C., 
by Representative Lawrence Hogan of 
Maryland's 5th District. 

The exhibit's theme, MUST— Maxi- 
mum Utilization of Skills and Training — 
highlights MUST'S use in the Agricul- 
tural Research Service. 

At the exhibit's opening, Francis R. 
Mangham, ARS Deputy Administrator 
for Administrative Management, intro- 
duced 32 High Ability students. Under 
the High Ability Program, sponsored by 
the National Science Foundation 
through a grant to American University, 
students with high potential in science 
or engineering are provided work experi- 
ence in agricultural research labora- 
tories. 

Each High Ability student was also 
greeted personally by Congressman 
Hogan. 



Under Secretary J. Phil Campbell told 
an audience attending opening day cere- 
monies that the MUST and High Ability 
Programs were combined for the exhibit 
because they share similar goals. 

"MUST," he said, "asks that we make 
conscious efforts to use all the skills of 
all our employees; that we build and 
sharpen these skills through planned 
training and development." He termed 
the MUST exhibit "evidence of what can 
be done." 

A side benefit of project MUST is 
meaningful use of handicapped persons. 
A case in point is Mrs. Genevieve R. 
Thomas. 

Mrs. Thomas holds a B.S. degree in 
mathematics and for 8 years worked as 
a scientific aide. Then she developed 
multiple sclerosis. After 17 years of un- 
employment, she found work with ARS, 
under project MUST, as a mathematics 
aide. The position with the Human Nu- 
trition Research Division in Beltsville, 



Attaches Confer on 
Latin American Trade 

The Department recently called a con- 
ference in Washington, D.C., of USDA 
agricultural attaches stationed in Latin 
America. According to Secretary Hardin, 
the purpose of the conference was to 
support the Administration's review of 
inter-American economic relations. 

During the official 4-day conference, 
June 24-27, the attaches joined USDA 
and other Government officials, includ- 
ing Members of Congress, in making a 
commodity-by-commodity review of the 
present and future of U.S. agricultural 
trade with Latin America. 

The attaches remained in Washington 
for 3 additional days for consultation 
with U.S. businessmen and organizations 
interested in doing business with Latin 
America. 

Secretary Hardin said, in his address 
at the opening session of the conference, 
"This will be the most comprehensive 
look the Department has taken in sev- 
eral years at our agricultural relations 
with Latin America. We believe it will 
make a major contribution to the study 
the Administration is currently making 
of our economic and trade relationships 
within the Americas." 

Trade between the United States and 
Latin America amounted to nearly $10 
billion in fiscal year 1968. 



JOHN P. ORCUTT >vas recently named 
Assistant to the Secretary for Federal-State 
Relations. 

.Since 1965, Orcutt has been Commis- 
sioner of .\f;riciiltiire for Colorado, head- 
quartered in Denver. In liis new capacity 
he will serve as Secretary Hardin's major 
liaison willi the State Departments of 
.Afiricidture and as consnltant on other 
matters involving Federal-State coopera- 
tion. 

Orcntt is a former Colorado State 
Senator and State Representative. 

Md., was redesigned to fit Mrs. Thomas' 
qualifications because ARS needed her 
talents. 

Mrs. Thomas' outlook on life has im- 
proved 100 percent since her reemploy- 
ment and, as she says, she "now has a 
reason for living." 

The exhibit was displayed in the Patio 
until July 11. 



PLANS ANNOUNCED 
FOR CO-OP MONTH 1969 

"Cooperatives: Progress Through Peo- 
ple" will be the theme of the 1969 Co-op 
Month across the Nation this October, 
according to the Washington, D.C., 
steering committee for this year's 
activities. 

The committee is made up of repre- 
sentatives of participating cooperative 
organizations and government agencies. 
Under Secretary J. Phil Campbell is 
chairman. 

This year there will be an opening 
day event, a 2-day conference for rural 
cooperative leaders, and a crafts 
exhibition, all in Washington, D.C. 

In addition, six national events 
throughout the country will feature co- 
operatives that provide housing, con- 
sumer goods, health services, and special 
services for low-income people, credit 
unions, and cooperatives overseas. 

State and local observances also will 
be held. 

This is the sixth year the Federal Gov- 
ernment, national cooperative organiza- 
tions, and the Food and Agriculture 
Organization of the United Nations have 
sponsored a Co-op Month. State and 
local observances have been held in a 
number of areas for the past two dec- 
ades — expanding each year until 47 
States had official observances last year. 

Executive director for the Washing- 
ton, D.C, event is David W. Angevine, 
Administrator of the Farmer Coopera- 
tive Service. 



Soil Erosion Remains A Problem 

Remarkable progress has been made in 
soil and water conservation in the United 
States in the last 25 years. But the 
country continues to suffer heavy soil 
erosion losses. About 120 million acres 
of land are in danger of being washed 
away, with only about one-third of our 
land adequately safeguarded. 

And sediment causes costly damage to 
our major water storage reservoirs. The 
amount of erosion-produced sediment 
dredged annually from our rivers and 
harbors exceeds the volume of earth dug 
for the Panama Canal. 

Increased farm production resulting 
from tremendous advances in science 
and technology tends to obscure the fact 
that, to meet food and fiber needs of a 
few years hence, this country will need 
the production equivalents of about 200 
million acres, beised on current yields. 
Since we do not have the additional 
acres of cropland, this production must 
come largely from increased yields on 
existing land. 




TWO 4-H'ERS ADVISE a 
bicycle owner on bicycle 
safety and courtesy. Such 
activities are important to 
leadership development, 
the long range goal of the 
new nationwide 4-H bicycle 
program. 



4-H BIKE PROGRAM "PEDALS" SAFETY AND FUN 



Safety and fun are primary goals of 
a new nationwide bicycle program re- 
cently initiated for 4-H youth. It is 
designed for boys and girls 9 to 19, with 
emphasis on elementary school age. 

The program is one of the many 4-H 
activities ideally suited for youngsters in 
both urban and rural areas. Already an 
estimated 125,000 4-H'ers have bicycle 
projects, and the number is rapidly in- 
creasing. From coast to coast, "biking" 
is one of the fastest growing fun and lei- 
sure time activities in the entire 4-H 
program. For many, the project will be- 
come advance preparation for operating 
and caring for small engines or for 
safe-driving of a car or other motor 
vehicle. 

The program is sponsored by a tire 
and rubber company of Akron, Ohio, 
through the Cooperative Extension Serv- 
ice. Support for it was arranged by the 



National 4-H Service Committee, Chi- 
cago. 4-H officials worked with the 
sponsor for more than a year to set up 
the educational pattern. Guidebooks and 
other instructional materials are being 
written especially for it. 

Through the program, the 4-H'ers 
learn safety and traffic rules, bicycle 
courtesy, and proper bicycle mainte- 
nance and mechanical checks. A lot of 
fun is built into the program, too, with 
exhibitions or riding skill, games, and 
contests planned. Leadership develop- 
ment is the long-range goal. 

A series of annual incentive awards 
will be provided by the sponsor. These 
include: Individual certificates for all 
participants; a $50 U.S. Savings Bond 
for each top State winner; an expense - 
paid trip to the National 4-H Congress 
for each of six sectional winners; and 
four national $600 scholarships. 




FOR THE SECOND year, the citizens of rural St. Marys County, Md., have been given the 
opportunity for a free eye examination. Organizations that have cooperated in bringing about this 
service are the Lions International Clubs of St. Marys County, George Washington University Hospital, 
Red Cross Volunteers, The Society for the Prevention of Blindness, St. Marys County Public Health 
Service, the St. Marys Medical Association, and the Federated Women's Clubs of Maryland. The 
Department's RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICE was interested in the success of the 
project both years because big hospital eye clinic services are unique to this area. During the 2-day 
clinic 920 people were examined for a variety of eye difficulties and 46 were referred for some form 
of treatment. The number of people examined increased over last year's 691 even though the 
clinic this year was a half-day shorter. Thirty-eight were referred last year. 



2 



Lassie Helps Blind 
See the Forest 

Blind visitx)rs at the San Bernardino 
National Forest in southern California 
can thank Lassie, the television canine 
star, for being able to "see" the great 
out-of-doors. 

Producers of the Lassie television 
show recently presented a Braille trail 
to the Forest Service, the second such 
trail on a National Forest. 

The Whispering Pine Nature Trail 
west of Los Angeles is the result of a 
story plot about blind children scheduled 
for one of next fall's Lassie shows. A 
necessary element of the story was a 
Braille trail. At the invitation of the 
Forest Service, producers of the show 
agreed to help build the trail in the Na- 
tional Forest instead of constructing it 
on the studio lot in Los Angeles. 

Construction work was done by Forest 
Service personnel, but all other expenses 
were paid by the producers and the Del 
Rosa Junior Women's Club. 

The trail was tested when the televi- 
sion show was filmed since all the 
children in the show were blind. 

The trail, which is above the 6.000- 
foot elevation in the Sierras, is about 
two-thirds of a mile long. A nylon hand 
cord along the length of the trail guides 
the blind to 23 interpretive stops de- 
signed to emphasize the smells, sounds, 
and feel of the forest. Each stop has two 
signs: One printed so sighted people can 
read it; the other in Braille so the blind 
visitors can read it. 

The first such trail in the United 




LASSIE AND JED ALLAN, "Ranger Scott Turner" 
on the Lassie TV show, join blind youngsters at 
one of the interpretive stops along the new 
Whispering Pine Nature Trail on the San 
Bernardino National Forest in California. 

States for the blind was established by 
the Forest Service in October 1967 in the 
White River National Forest near Aspen, 
Colo. Another is being built by the New 
Mexico Federation of Women's Clubs in 
the Lincoln National Forest in New 
Mexico. Still another — a "touch and see 
trail" — was dedicated last year in Wash- 
ington, D.C., at the National Arboretum 
operated by the Agricultural Research 
Service. 

The Forest Service also has a nature 
trail for the physically handicapped 
visitors in the George Washington 
National Forest near Massanutten, Va. 




A SPOT CHECK ON THE NEWS. Thanks to the Radio Service of the Office of Information, radio 
broadcasters now can get a run-down on USDA news items without coming to the Department. A 
new program service called the Radio Spot News Service enables broadcasters to select news items 
simply by picking up the telephone. The special phone hookup for use by radio stations across the 
Nation also permits broadcasters to record the news items which often feature voices of top Depart- 
ment officials. The news items on the line are changed every business day. (Above) USDA radio 
staffer Larry K. Collins, left, and chief Jack Towers, right, interview Secretary Hardin for the Radio 
Spot News Service. 



Forest Service Employee 
Authors Book on Trees 

Stanley Jepsen (below; of che Forest 
Service Information and Edu ation Di- 
vision in Washington, D.C., is author of 
a newly published book, "T'ees and 
Forests" (A, S. Barnes & Co.) . 

All about the kingdom of tiees, the 
new volume is the result of two of 
Jepsen's principal hobbies — botany and 
education. 

Tlie handsome hard-cover book in- 
cludes a wide range of photographic 
illustrations among its 150 pages. It 
covers the full life-cycle of the forest 
tree, with chapters on the origin of trees; 
care of trees; tree planting, transplant- 
ing, and harvesting; and the production 
of lumber and forest products. 

Jepsen's book could serve as a useful 
reference for forestry students, as well 




as a guide for tree farmers or anyone 
interested in forest trees. 

Before joining the Forest Service in 
1964, Jepsen was education director for 
American Forest Products Industries. He 
taught high school in California and 
served for a number of years as associate 
editor of forest industry publications in 
the West. He attended the University of 
Idaho, where he earned B.S. and M.S. 
degrees in forestry. 



Secretary Hardin recently called on the 
entire swine industry to unite in the 
"stamping out'" efforts against hoii chol- 
era. The nationwide HOG CHOLERA 
ERADICATION CAMPAIGN being waged 
by the industry in cooperation witli tlie 
States and the .Animal Healtli Division of 
the Agricultural Research Service got un- 
derway in late 1962. Target date for 
completion of the program and a "hog 
cholera free" United States is l')72. The 
program is divided into four phases, with 
the first two devoted to control nioa>ures 
and the final two aimed at eradicating the 
disease. Only six States remain in tlu' con- 
trol phases: Hawaii. Maine. ^Mississippi, 
New Hampshire. New York, and Texas. Of 
the -14 .*^tates ami Puerto Rico in the 
■'slamping out" phases. 12 ha\c already 
been declared "hog cholera free." 



3 



APPOINTMENTS 

New members of State Agricultural 
Stabilization and Conservation Commit- 
tees for 11 States were recently appointed 
by Secretary Hardin. They are: 

ALABAMA— Clyde P, Maliaffev of Mel- 
vin; A. G. Mitchell, Jr., of Fyffe; Jim T, 
Norman of Goshen ; Travis H. Vickery of 
Hackleburg; and Laurence G. Davis of 
Decatur. 

ARKANSAS — Aylmer L. Lower, Texar- 
kana; Lattie J. Churchill, Dover; Harlan 
H. Holleman, Wynne; Chauncey L. Den- 
ton, Jr., Tyronza; John Cammon, Jr., 
Marion; Frederick L. Daum, Pleasant 
Grove; and Claude C. Kennedy, Jr., 
Marianna. 

CONNECTICUT— Warren E. Thrall, 
Windsor; and Thomas J. Lachance, 
Somers. 

KENTUCKY— Jack Welch, Owenion: 
Douglas C. Evans, Tomkinsvilie: and Paul 
L. Fuqua, Hardinsburg. 

LOUISIANA — Bruce N. Lvnn, Gilliam; 
Erie M. Barham, Oak Ridge; J. Malcolm 
Duhe, New Iberia; William N. Prather, 
Branch; and Earl A. Roque, Natclicz. 

MAINE— Basil S. Fox, Washburn; Rex 
L. Varnue, Dover Foxcroft; and William 
H. Allen, Hebron. 

MARYLAND— Raymond F. Jaeger, 
Randallstown; John K. Meyers, Sharps- 
burg; and Homer O. Sclimidt, Federals- 

MISSISSIPPI— Waldemar L. Prichard, 
Inverness; Isaac D. Franklin, Artesia; 
John C. Sides, Jr., Coffecville; and 
Richard T. Watson, Woodville. 

NEW YORK— John A. McTarnaghan. 
Dansville; Harvey H. Smith, Auburn; and 
H. Foster Shimel, LaFargeville. 

PENNSYLVANIA— John M. Phillips, 
North East; Willard H. Kimmel, Shelocta; 
and Richard L. Smith, Springville. 

RHODE ISLAND— George I. Kenyon, 
Jr., Exeter; Charles M. Borders, Foster; 
and William M. Silvia, Middletown. 
***** 

Secretary Hardin recently appointed 
nine new State directors of the Farmers 
Home Administration. They are: 

ARKANSAS— Robert L. Hankins, with 
headquarters in Little Rock 

GEORGIA — Robert B. Lee, at Atlanta 

KANSAS — E. Morgan Williams, To- 
peka 

KENTUCKY— John H. Burris, Lexing- 
ton 

MICHIGAN— Alfred O. LaPorte, East 
Lansing 

MISSOURI — Mendel R. Cline, Colum- 

MONTANA— Norman C. Wheeler, 
Bozeman 

NEW ENGLAND— James H. Christie, 
Orono, Maine 

OHIO — Lester M. Stone, Columbus 

PLENTIFUL FOODS 

USDA's August list. Featured are 
onions and wheat products. Other plenti- 
fuls include: Peanuts and peanut prod- 
ucts, cabbage, carrots, celery, cucumbers, 
lettuce and tomatoes, fresh pears, 
nectarines, limes, and watermelons. 




PERSONNEL AND EMPLOYMENT 
ice met recently in Washington, 
and hear it like it is." One of t 
revisions, which went into effect 
Area Office; John W. Bolish, Was 
Field Office; Bob Johnson, Washi 
modify Office; Don Egr, Kansa 
Commodity Office; Carl Barnes 
Washington, D.C. 



OFFICERS of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Serv- 
D.C., with Carl Barnes, Director of Personnel, for a session of "tell 
he main topics of discussion was the new Merit Promotion Policy 
July 1. Seated, left to right, are Pedro A. Claverol, ASCS Caribbean 
hington, D.C; Dan Deets and Bob Travis, Kansas City Management 
ngton, D.C.; Carl Strauss and James Leachman, New Orleans Com- 
s City Management Field Office; Doris Nicklasson, Minneapolis 
Arlene Lee, Minneapolis Commodity Office; and Frank Abbott, 



Agri Briefs 

Small farmers and farmers in weak 
financial positions are the usual bor- 
rowers under the Farmers Home .Admin- 
istration's FARM OPER.\TING LOAN 
PROGRAM; similar loans from commer- 
cial banks and production credit associa- 
tions go to larger farmers and those in 
stronger financial positions, according to 
a recent report by the Economic Research 
Service. 

The FH.\ limits loans to farmers who 
are unable to obtain suitable credit else- 
where. Factors restricting credit are small 
farm size, inadequate capital base, and 
limited farm experience, .\lmost three- 
fourths of the farmers with outstanding 
operating loans from FH.A in 1966 had 
net worths of less tlian S10,000. Often 
such farmers can gel enougli commercial 
credit to cover annual operating expenses, 
but not enough to cover the improvements 
and adjustments needed to remain 
competitive. 

* * * * ■ * 

.\ 2-year research contract to find means 
of imparting magnetic properties to cot- 
ton was recently awarded to tlie Gulf 
South Researcii Institute, New Orleans, 
La., by the AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 
SERVICE. 

The contract was awarded in an effort 
to develop new and improved methods of 
turning cotton fibers into yarns and 
fabrics. Cotton will be chemically and 
physically treated witli metal compounds 
that will cause the fibers to be attracted 
by magnetic forces. 

The research is sponsored by tlie ARS 
Southern utilization research laboratory 
in New Orleans, with .Albert Baril, Jr., as 
ARS technical representative. 

***** 

Georgia's Coastal Plain Experiment 
Station at Tifton recently observed its 
50tli anniversary. As if that was not rea- 
son enough for celebration, animal 




RICHARD D. LANE (left), director of the Forest 
Service's Northeastern Forest Experiment Sta- 
tion, Upper Darby, Pa., accepts the National 
Safety Council's Annual Safety Contest Third 
Place Award in behalf of his safety-conscious 
personnel. The Northeastern station was rated in 
Group A, Forestry Division, Wood Products Sec- 
tion for organizations with more than 633,112 
man-hours per year. Gerald LaVoy, Northeastern 
station personnel officer, made the presentation. 

scientists and agronomists at the station 
this year won tlie SEARS-ROEBUCK 
FOUND.ATION RESEARCH AWARD for 
developing a new hybrid of Coastal Ber- 
mudagrass. Tlie station is under the 
direction of Dr. Frank P. King, and the 
staff includes 40 university scientists and 
49 USDA people. 



AN INGREDIENT HAVING anticancer 
properties has been isolated from a plant 
extract in laboratory studies by chemists 
J. David Warthen, Jr., Martin Jacobson, 
and physicist Ernest L. Gooden of the 
Agricultural Research Service. Test-tube 
experiments with the extract showed 
significant inhibition of human cancer 
cells in cell culture. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



JULY 31, 1969 



Vol. XXVIll No. 16 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of ■phoning whenever possible: for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Llllie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43 — 355-30 u.s government printing office 



^S^U ^^"-^ ^^ BRANCH 



^ ,iV 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVIII m. 17 
AUGUST 14, 1969 



USDA SCIENTISTS 
TEST MOON ROCK 

What will a little moon dust do to your 
tomato plants? Probably nothing. But 
to find out, Forest Service plant pa- 
thologists, Dr. Charles Walkirishaw, Jr., 
and Dr. John A. Vozzo, are performing 
tests to determine any effects lunar ma- 
terials might have on earth's plant life. 

In similar tests, Clarence A. Benscho- 
ter. an entomologist with the Agricul- 
tural Research Service, is screening the 
effects of lunar materials on insects. 

The three USDA scientists are work- 
ing at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory 
(LRD , a part of the National Aeronau- 
tics and Space Administration's Manned 
Spacecraft Center near Houston, Tex. 
They are among the more than 100 
scientists who are investigating the rock 
and dust samples brought back by the 
moon-visiting astronauts. 

The botanical tests being conducted 
by the Forest Service scientists involve 
four types of investigations. The first is 
the exposure of algae to powdered moon 
rock. In the second, seeds are directly 
exposed during germination to the 
lunar material, and a third test will 
analyze any microbes that may attack 
growing plants. The fourth test exposes 
masses of growing plant cells to the 
moon materials for detection of any tox- 
ins or pathogens that might invade cells. 

A variety of plants are used in the 
tests including tomato, potato, tobacco, 
cabbage, onion, bean, slash pine and 
fern. 

Three common insects — the housefly, 
cockroach, and wax moth — were chosen 
for the experiments being made by Ben- 
schoter. In a variety of tests, the ARS 
scientist will check for any toxic effects 
that the moon soil might have on in- 
sects as well as for any pathogens or 
other substance that might upset their 
normal physiology. Insect specimens ex- 
posed to the lunar materials for a few 
days were sent to ARS laboratories at 
Beltsville, Md., where Dr. A. M. Heimpel 
made preliminary histological examina- 
tions. These examinations will be fol- 
lowed by more intensive studies by 
Heimpel of insects exposed to lunar ma- 
terials over a 30-day period. 




BEHIND THE "BIOLOGICAL BARRIER" at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at NASA's Manned Space- 
craft Center, Houston, Tex., Forest Service scientist. Dr. Charles H. Walkinshaw, Jr., (left) and a 
technician prepare tests to find effects of lunar materials on earth's plant life. Scientists from the 
Agricultural Research Service are testing the effects of moon rock on insects. 



The possibility that any kind of life 
exists on the moon is extremely remote. 
But there is the slim chance that some 
form of life there — if only rudimentary 
bacterium or virus — could be hostile to 
earth life or so different to anything on 
earth that neither plants, animals, nor 
humans would have resistance to its 
attack. 

Because of this risk, elaborate pre- 
cautions were taken to prevent lunar 
materials from being released into the 
earth's atmosphere before vital tests 
could be made. Astronauts Armstrong 
and Aldrin left their boots and gloves 
on the moon's surface; from their re- 
covery in the Pacific Ocean until their 
arrival at the LRL for a 16-day quaran- 
tine period, the astronauts were isolated 
in specially-equipped trailers. 

Tlie quarters for the Apollo crew and 
the complex of laboratories at the LRL 
are separated from the rest of the world 



by what is known as a "biological bar- 
rier." Nothing — not even the air the as- 
tronauts breathe — is allowed to escape 
into the atmosphere without being puri- 
fied. 

Tests of the limar samples began at 
the Lunar Receiving Laboratoi-y even 
before the astronauts' arrival at Hous- 
ton. The two sealed containers carrying 
the samples were retrieved from the 
space capsule and immediately flown to 
the moon lab. At the LRL, the outsides 
of the suitcase-sized containers were 
sterilized by ultra-violet light and an 
acid bath and placed into a vacuum 
chamber. Scientists, with arms and 
hands encased in gloves of a modified 
space suit, opened the containers and 
removed the samples. 

Some of the samples were then dis- 
tributed to the USDA scientists and their 
colleagues to find out what in the world 
the moon is made of. 




MORE THAN 4,000 IDEAS 
poured into the office of 
James V. Smith, Adminis- 
trator of the Farmers Home 
Administration, when he 
recently asked employees 
to submit suggestions for 
improving operations of 
the agency. Aided by 
Jeanie Miles, Miss Farmers 
Home Administration of 
1969, Smith reviews some 
of the ideas as well as 
some suggestions of slo- 
gans and symbols to char- 
acterize the work of FHA. 
Smith expressed delight 
that the "direct line" to the 
41 State and 1,700 county 
FHA offices produced such 
thoughtful and imaginative 
results. 



Staff Changes Made in Consumer Protection 



Two top personnel changes in USDA 
consumer protection services were an- 
nounced recently by Richard E. Lyng, 
assistant secretary in charge of market- 
ing and consumer services. 

Dr. Gilbert H. Wise of the Agricul- 
tural Research Service was named dep- 
uty administrator of the Consumer and 
Marketing Service in charge of con- 
sumer protection. He has served as as- 
sociate director of the Animal Health 
Division, ARS, since 1967. 

Dr. Robert K. Somers was named spe- 
cial assistant to the administrator of the 
Consumer and Marketing Service. He is 
currently deputy administrator for con- 
sumer protection. 



A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Dr. 
Wise joined USDA in 1949 as a field 
veterinarian in Michigan. He served in 
New Jersey, Ohio, and California before 
becoming senior veterinarian on the 
swine diseases staff of the Animal Health 
Division in Washington, D.C., in 1961. 

Dr. Somers, a native of Saginaw, 
Mich., began his USDA career with the 
Bureau of Animal Industry in Animal 
Disease Control and Meat Inspection in 
Michigan, Minnesota, and Iowa. He was 
transferred to Washington, D.C., as 
assistant chief of the inspection pro- 
cedures section of the Meat Inspection 
Division. 



ANNUITANTS INCLUDED IN "OPEN SEASON' 



The Civil Service Commission recently 
announced that annuitants enrolled in 
the Federal Employees Health Benefits 
Program can participate in the Novem- 
ber 10-28, 1969, open season scheduled 
for active employees. 

During open season, eligible employees 
who are not enrolled in a health bene- 
fits plan under the program are permit- 
ted to enroll. Employees and annuitants 
who are already enrolled in a plan are 
able to change to another plan or to 
another option of the plan they are in. 
In addition, those enrolled for self-only 
may change to a family-type enrollment 
in the same or a different plan or option. 
Changes made during the open season 
become effective at the beginning of the 
first pay period in 1970. 

Open seasons are required to be held 



at least once every 3 years for employees 
but not for annuitants. An earlier de- 
cision by the Commission excluded an- 
nuitants from the November 1969 open 
season. 

All annuitants will be notified by mail 
of the changes in the program. 



Functions of ASCS 
Are Realigned 

The Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service recently announced 
a realignment of functions within the 
agency, returning it to a modified com- 
modity division type of operation in the 
Washington offices. 

In announcing the change, ASCS Ad- 
ministrator Kenneth E. Frick said, "The 
organizational change is a redistribution 
and redirection of resources to make our 
operation as effective as possible." 

The shift involves the formation of 
new divisions in Washington. In broad 
terms, these new divisions assume or re- 
group the duties of several ASCS di- 
visions, branches, and groups which have 
been phased out. 

The new divisions are: Cotton, Grain, 
Livestock and Dairy, Oilseeds and Spe- 
cial Crops, Sugar, Tobacco. Ti-ansporta- 
tion and Warehousing. Commodity Pro- 
grams, Compliance and Appeals. Con- 
servation and Land Use. Defense and 
Disaster Programs, and Direct Payments 
Programs. 

Divisions phased out by the realign- 
ment include: Commodity Operations. 
Farmers Programs, Producer Associa- 
tions, Bin Storage, Program and Policy 
Appraisal, and Aerial Photography. 

In addition the new divisions incor- 
porate the functions of the following: 
Policy Staffs, Automatic Data Process- 
ing Staffs, Disaster and Defense Serv- 
ices Staff, and ASCS activities in Rural 
Areas Development and Technical Ac- 
tion Panels. 

State and county ASCS offices are not 
affected by the realignment. Adminis- 
trator Frick, in announcing the changes, 
affirmed strong support of the farmer- 
elected ASC county committee system. 



Conservation Is Topic of Youth Conference 



•( 


• 




OIL'.S W ELL — The crew drilling; • 




a waste disposal well for a new ni- S 




trogen plant owned by a farmer 




cooperative in Dodge Citv, Kans., • 




had unexpected results. They struck J 


•( 


oil. S 

• 



Montana young people recently 
learned how to become involved in the 
world around them — literally. Vehicle 
for this was the second annual Montana 
Youth Conference on Conservation held 
in Helena, Mont. 

More than 150 Montana high school 
and college students attended the con- 
ference which was sponsored by the 
Montana Conservation Council in co- 
operation with the Montana Federation 
of Garden Clubs and the Montana Fed- 
eration of Women's Clubs. 

Forest Service and Soil Conservation 
Service personnel took part in the con- 
ference program and furnished exhibits. 
Lillian Hornick, who is in charge of edu- 
cation and women's activities for the 



Forest Sei"vice's Northern Region at Mis- ' 
soula, was conference coordinator. 
Speakers included Robert S. Morgan, 
Helena National Forest supervisor; Ger- 
ald J. Coutant, FS landscape architect; 
and H. F. Uhlrich, SCS. 

Participants also included represent-- 
atives from the Department of the In- 
terior; State agencies; private organiza- 
tions; and conservation educators from 
Montana colleges and high schools. 

An impressive list of topics was on 
the agenda, including: Quality environ- 
ment with emphasis on air and water; 
conservation education; soil, water, and 
range conservation; forests and wildlife; 
recreation; beautification; ecological re- 
sponsibility; public lands; careers in con- 
servatioh; and community action. 



A Land of New Lakes 

Swimming rates as tlie number two 
outdoor sport of Americans, according 
to the Soil Conservation Service. And a 
lot of it goes on in the more than 5,000 
man-made lakes built in the last 15 years 
by local communities with the help of 
SCS. 

The 5,000-mark was passed during the 
fiscal year ended Juiie 30 as several 
hundred new lakes were added to the 
total of some 4,900 watershed lakes and 
reservoirs already on the land. 

Although only 1 percent of the lakes 
was originally designed with recreation 
in mind, almost 99 percent of them are 
now used to some degree for outdoor fun. 
Some of the lakes — which vary in size 
from less than 10 acres to 1,800 acres — 
have become the nucleus for new or en- 
larged public parks. Many have pro- 
vided communities with their first and 
only chance for water sports. 

The basic purpose of almost all the 
lakes is flood prevention, but recreation 
is an official second purpose at 50 lakes 
where local watershed project sponsors 
are paying at least half of the added 
costs. These 50 lakes provide an esti- 
mated 4 million user days of water-based 
fun annually. 

At recreation lakes where SCS does 
not help pay recreation costs, facilities 
range from jump-in swimming to elab- 
orate diving, boating, fishing, camping, 
hunting, or water-skiing installations. 
These facilities are built by State and 
local governments or by private organi- 
zations or individuals. 

The 5,000 new lakes help both rural 
and city dwellers keep their cool. A reser- 
voir near Cavalier, N. Dak., provides the 
only swimming water within 65 miles 
and has sparkplugged the building of a 
370-acre State park. Lake Needwood, in 
Upper Rock Creek Park near Washing- 
ton, D.C., opened last summer with fa- 
cilities for fishing, boating, and camping. 

But come fall, when the splashing dies 
down, the 5,000 lakes will quietly go back 
to their job of year-round flood pro- 
tection. 



The triumphs of home and comniiinity 
gardeners — and their contribution to a 
more livable .America — will be recognized 
during NATIONAL LAWN AND GARDEN 
WEEK 1970. This second annual ob- 
servance will be held in the Department 
March 20-26. The week will herald a 
series of "Growing With America" gar- 
dening events throughout the Nation in 
the following spring months. 

The goal of the events will be to ac- 
cent the benefits that people of all ages 
and economic levels can find in well-kept 
lawns, in flower, fruit, and vegetable gar- 
dens, and in city parks. The events will be 
supported by joint efforts of industry, 
government, garden clubs, and other civic 
groups. 




ff^ -•r^* 



BACK IN THE "Dust Bowl Days," a common sight In the Great Plains States was a farm lot 
smothered under a blanket of dust. The above photograph, taken from USDA's historical photo file, 
was made at a North Dakota farm in 1936, 2 years after the Soil Conservation Service and the Great 
Plains Agricultural Council began keeping records of wind erosion damage. 

Wind Erosion Lowest Ever in the Plains 



Wind erosion damage in the Great 
Plains this year is the lowest ever re- 
corded in 35 years of annual repoi"ts, 
according to the Soil Conservation 
Service. 

A total 995,150 damaged acres was 
listed in the final 1969 "blow season" 
report, a decrease of more than 15 per- 
cent from the previous season. 

Texas and North Dakota reported the 
greatest amount of total acres damaged, 
while Kansas had the least. The esti- 
mates were from 204 counties in the 10 
Great Plains States; Colorado, Kansas, 
Montana, Nebraska, North and South 
Dakota, New Mexico, Wyoming, Okla- 
homa, and Texas. 

SCS Administrator Kenneth E. Grant 
said major reasons for the reduced dam- 
age this year were better moisture con- 
ditions, fewer extremely high winds, and 



EMPEROR VISITS USDA 

His Imperial Majesty HaVe Selassie I, 
Emperor of Ethiopia, was briefed on 
recent developments in animal husband- 
ry research conducted by USDA during 
his visit to the Agricultural Research 
Center, Beltsville, Md., July 10. 

J. Phil Campbell, Under Secretary of 
Agriculture, and Dr. Ned D. Bayley, Di- 
rector of Science and Education, accom- 
panied the Emperor. 

Upon arrival at the Center, the Em- 
peror was greeted by Dr. George W. Irv- 
ing, Jr., Administrator of the Agricul- 
tural Research Service. 

Dr. Robert R. Oltjen, Dr. Frank N. 
Dickinsoii, Dr. Clair E. Terrill, and Dr. 
Carl W. Hess, all of the ARS Animal 
Husbandry Research Division, explained 
research developments in breeding and 
management and showed the Emperor 
examples of outstanding livestock and 
poultry breeding lines. 



greater use of soil and water conserva- 
tion practices. 

SCS administers a Great Plains con- 
servation program which assists farmers 
and ranchers in applying large-scale 
conservation practices and converting 
unsuitable cropland to permanent grass 
cover. Ninety-five percent of wind ero- 
sion damage reported this year was on 
cropland. 



FHA Helps Create 
New Texas Town 

In a first-of-its-kind venture in the 
United States, the Farmers Home Ad- 
ministration and the U.S. Plywood- 
Champion Papers, Inc., have joined 
forces to create a whole new "town" for 
company employees. 

When USP-CP bought a 200,000-acre 
timber holding of a Texas lumber firm 
in 1968, it immediately started to find 
new housing for employees who were re- 
siding in company-owned houses in 
Camden, Tex. 

In coordination with FHA, the com- 
pany developed home sites on a 117- 
acre tract of timberland adjoining the 
small rural town of Corrigan, a few miles 
from Camden. 

The USP-CP furnished $400,000 to pay 
for laying out the one-half-acre home 
sites, surfacing streets, installing water 
and sewer systems, and other community 
facilities. The company also negotiated 
with telephone, electric, and gas com- 
panies for installing utility and phone 
service to the new "town." 

FHA participation included assistance 
in developing plans for the 10 diiferent 
home models that were approved for fi- 
nancing and providing loans averaging 
about $8,000 to $10,000 each to the 
families. 



ACHIEVEMENTS 

WILLIAM C. CROW, director of the 
Transportation and Facilities Research 
Division, Agricultural Research Service, 
was recently awarded an honorarj" Doc- 
tor of Laws degree by Maryville College, 
Maryville, Tenn. 

Crow was cited for his career-long con- 
tributions to improve the efficiency of 
getting food from the farm to the con- 
sumer nationally and internationally. 

Crow received his bachelor's degree 
from Maryville College in 1924, and his 
master's from the University of Chicago 
in 1929. 

His entire USDA career, starting in 
1935, has been in marketing — marketing 
research, service, and regulatory work on 
all commodities at all levels from farm to 
consumer — coupled with extensive coop- 
eration with State Departments of Agri- 
culture, State Experiment Stations and 
Extension Services, farm, and industry 
groups. 

He holds numerous honors and awards 
and has written more than 50 publica- 
tions and directed the writing of more 
than 1,000 publications and journal ar- 
ticles issued by his division. 

***** 

MRS. RITA K. STRAUSS, secretary to 
the director. Forest Service Division of 
Fire Control, recently was elected record- 
ing secretary of Federally Employed 
Women, Inc. 

FEW is an organization established in 
1968 to promote opportunity and equality 
for women in Government. 

Mrs. Strauss has worked for the Gov- 
ernment for 15 years, with the Internal 
Revenue Service, the National Aeronau- 
tics and Space Administration, and USDA. 
***** 

DR. CHARLES R. RUSSELL, head of 
Nonstarch Products Investigations at ARS' 
Northern utilization laboratory, Peoria, 
111., recently received the Distinguished 
Alumni Award from Monmouth College, 
Monmouth, 111. 

The award recognizes Dr. Russell's 
achievements and contributions to society 
through leadership, interest in fellow 
man, and the assumption of personal re- 
sponsibilities as an educated individual. 

Dr. Russell received his B.S. degree 
from Monmouth College in 1940. 



EMPLOY THE HANDICAPPED 

Secretary Hardin has urged all USDA 
agencies to maintain, on a year-round 
basis, an active, positive Employ the 
Handicapped Program. 

In making the request, he said that 
each agency can demonstrate its par- 
ticipation in this effort "by continually 
identifying positions in which handi- 
capped persons can show their capabil- 
ity." 

The Secretary noted that President 
Nixon, in his policy statement on Fed- 
eral employment, asked agencies and 
departments to commit themselves "to 







FOREST SERVICE CHIEF Edward P. Cliff (left), Sen. Clinton P. Anderson of New Mexico, and South- 
western Regional Forester William D. Hurst pause by the entrance of the new Gila Visitors Center on 
the Gila National Forest, New Mexico. 

New Visitor Center is Joint Project 



The ghosts of Pueblo Indians who 
lived in the prehistoric days of south- 
western New Mexico recently had com- 
pany in abundance. The occasion was 
the gathering of more than 300 persons 
for the dedication of the Gila Visitor 
Center. 

The new facility, constructed by the 
Interior Department's National Park 
Service on Gila National Forest land, is 
operated by both the Forest Service and 
the Park Service. The center's interpre- 
tive exhibits were planned and financed 
jointly by the two agencies. 

The center, located north of Silver 
City, N. Mex., is surrounded by the Gila 
Wilderness Area, established in 1924 as 
the Nation's first Wilderness. Nearby is 



remove any remaining employment bar- 
riers to the Federal employment of three 
groups of handicapped people: The 
physically impaired who are not occu- 
pationally handicapped when assigned 
to the right jobs; the mentally restored 
whose only handicap is that they once 
suffered an emotional illness; and the 
mentally retarded who can demonstrate 
ability to perform the simple and rou- 
tine tasks that need doing in all organi- 
zations, regardless of size." 



the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monu- 
ment, administered by the Park Service. 
Forest Service Chief Edward P. Cliff 
joined other officials of the Forest Serv- 
ice and the Park Service in dedicating 
the new center and in honoring Sen. 
Clinton P. Anderson, former Secretary 
of Agriculture, for his long-time support 
of the Wilderness concept. 




Litter-olly, man slinks!" 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

AUGUST 14, 1969 Vol. XXVIII No. 17 



VSDA Is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
c^et VSDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible: for rush orders. calli-xt.^uoB, 
Mrs Llllie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. M^iH). 



c43 — 358-527 u.s government mintins OFFICE 



h w 

M 



'fJtvj tJ\j L/i 1 n 1 1 \-( I I 



V 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVill NO. 18 
AUGUST 28, 1969 



Hekman To Head New 
Food and Nutrition Service 

Edward J. Hekman, a former food 
company executive with experience in 
public service organizations, was re- 
cently named by Secretary Hardin to 
head the new Food and Nutrition Serv- 
ice. Hekman is presently serving as vice- 
president of Valparaiso University, Val- 
paraiso, Ind. 

A native of Grand Rapids, Mich., 
Hekman has held various positions with 
the United Biscuit Co. In 1960, he be- 
came president of the company and di- 
rected reorganization of a group of 
biscuit plants into a company with the 
single trade name of Keebler. In 1968, 
he resigned from that job to assume the 
post at Valparaiso. 

Hekman has served as a trustee and 
director of the Nutrition Foundation 
which was founded by the food industry 
in the 1940's for research and education 
in the field of human nutrition; as di- 
rector of the Grocery Manufacturers of 
America; and as vice-president of the 
National Association of Manufacturers. 
He also has served as an officer or direc- 
tor of several public service organiza- 
tions such as the Boy Scouts of Amer- 
ica, Y.M.C.A., and Lutheran Child 
Welfare. 

Plans to create a Food and Nutrition 
Service within the Department of Agri- 
culture were announced earlier by Sec- 
retary Hardin. The new agency, estab- 
lished in accordance with a directive of 
President Nixon, will be exclusively con- 
cerned with the administration of Fed- 
eral food programs. 

The Secretary pointed out that the 
work of the Food and Nutrition Service 
will be "very closely coordinated with 
the work of other Department agencies 
which can contribute and are contrib- 
uting to our efforts to end malnutrition, 
particularly through nutrition research 
and education programs for low-income 
families." 

The new service also will work closely 
with other Federal departments and 
agencies. This will be done through the 
sub-Cabinet working committee of the 
Urban Affairs Council. 




OLIVER J. HODGE, a management analyst with 
the Office of Management Services, Washington, 
D.C., recently received a certificate of merit for 
designing a post card (fees paid) for Depart- 
ment-wide use. The new card will be the only 
one centrally stocked, once the supply of in- 
dividual agency post cards is exhausted, result- 
ing In a savings of time, money, and space. 
Hodge also received $125 for his suggestion 
and was selected as July USDA Cost Reducer 
of the Month. Since 1959 Hodge has received 
a $150 Performance Award, a Quality Step In- 
crease, and four other cash awards for sug- 
gestions. 



National Finance Office 
Planned for Forest Service 

Plans for a National Finance Office 
for the Forest Service were announced 
recently by Secretary Hardin. Establish- 
ment of this office, to be located at Fort 
Collins, Colo., will lead to the consolida- 
tion of the accounting operations of the 
150 Forest Service field offices into one 
central office. 

"Over 75 percent of the Forest Service 
work is performed in the Rocky Moun- 
tain and Pacific States, with about 25 
percent of the activities and the national 
headquarters office in the East," the 
Secretary said. A location in the Rocky 
Mountain area was thus strongly in- 
dicated with the Fort Collins location 
best meeting all requirements. It is ac- 
cessible to national transportation and 



EO Loan Borrowers 
Show Family Living Gains 

A recent report by the Farmers Home 
Administration shows that borrowers 
with the economic opportunity loan pro- 
gram for 3 years recorded greater gains 
than those with the program only a year 
or two. Greater gains, yet, were made 
by families who received loans to de- 
velop small, nonagricultural businesses 
than by those who improved small farm- 
ing operations. 

The report was based on a survey FHA 
made last winter of borrowers in the 50 
States and Puerto Rico. 

Borrowers with nonagricultural loans 
increased their net income on the aver- 
age of $1,350; those with agricultural 
loans an average of $1,100. 

Nonagricultural borrowers showed net 
income of $3,840 compared to $2,950 net 
income of agricultural borrowers. 

Rural families who received combined 
agricultural and nonagricultural EO 
loans averaged $1,370 more in net in- 
come in 1968 than in the year before re- 
ceiving the loan. Their net income of 
$3,490 was less than that of nonagricul- 
tural borrowers but greater than that of 
agricultural borrowers. 

Other parts of the survey revealed: 

— that farmers on the program 3 years 
had on the average $310 more in net 
worth than those with just a year's ex- 
perience. 

— that about 25 percent of the loans 
were made to Negro borrowers with most 
of the funds going to finance agricul- 
tural enterprises. 

— that borrowers on the program only 
a year were able to have public assist- 
ance payments reduced as much as $190 
on the average. 

communications facilities and is in ac- 
cordance with the Departmental policy 
of locating facilities in lower population 
density areas. 

The transition will take several years 
and will be accomplished with a mini- 
mum disruption of personnel and field 
operations, the Secretary said. 

When fully implemented, the ofiBce 
will employ about 350 people. 




ih 



«**,■ 




THREE EXECUTIVE INTERNS of USDA were among the guests of Secretary Hardin at a recent 
breakfast. Pictured (left to right) are Dr. Caro Luhrs, White House Fellow assigned to USDA; Jon 
Massey, guest of the Secretary; Donald E. Brock, Assistant to the Secretary; Harold Gross, Office of 
Personnel; Dr. A. B. Park, Agricultural Research Service; Secretary Hardin; Intern Fred Lumsden; 
Mary Kady, Office of Personnel; Intern Anita Karcz; and Intern Mark Riddle. 

Executive Interns Learn and Contribute 



Three young college students, all 
headed into their senior year, have been 
hard at work this summer learning the 
functions of USDA firsthand and using 
impressive talents to perform meaning- 
ful jobs of their own. 

The three, Anita Karcz, Mark Riddle. 
and Fred Lmnsden, are known as Execu- 
tive Interns. They are among 75 students 
participating in a program initiated this 
summer to place outstanding college and 
graduate students in important offices 
throughout the Federal Government. 
Executive Interns were selected from 
the more than 6,000 students who took 
Civil Service examinations and were 
judged eligible for summer employment 
in Washington, D.C. 

In addition to the test scores, the 
Interns were selected on the basis of 
their school records, their fields of* in- 
terest, and their potential for leadership. 

Jobs for the Interns were created by 
the Cabinet Secretaries after consulta- 
tion with the White House Fellows, a 
group of 19 young men and women who 
are spending a year working with top 
officials in the government. 

Executive Intern Anita Karcz is from 
Fairview, Mass. She is a chemistry major 
at the University of Massachusetts 
where she is active in the student judi- 
cial system and a campus spiritual or- 
ganization. At USDA, she is working in 
pesticide investigations under the super- 
vision of Dr. Philip C. Kearney, Agricul- 
tural Research Service. 

Mark Riddle, whose home is Tell City, 
Ind., has worked this summer for the 
Office of Personnel under the direction 
of Harold Gross. His assignment was to 
coordinate the Department's summer 
aide program and set up an evaluation 
for future aide programs. In addition, 

2 



Riddle worked on establishing a pro- 
gram for college students employed dur- 
ing the summer at USDA. 

A political science and chemistry 
major at the University of Indiana, Rid- 
dle plans to attend graduate school and 
later enter the teaching field. 

Intern Fred Lumsden, a physics major 
at the University of Missouri, is from 
Sikeston, Mo. This summer he has 
worked under the direction of Dr. A. B. 
Park of ARS to compute the orbit for 
the Earth Resources Satellite. This sat- 
ellite is scheduled for launch in 1972. 
Lumsden's computations will furnish 
the satellite with an orbit that will best 
serve agriculture. 

Besides being involved in their work, 
the Interns attended special seminars 
where they had the opportunity to talk 
with Cabinet and Congressional leaders 
as well as with other top Government 
officials. 



POULTRY LAW 
REQUIRES TEAMWORK 

Steady progress is being made in the 
Federal-State partnership effort to ex- 
tend strict inspection for wholesomeness 
to almost all poultry and poultry food 
products sold in the United States. 

The Wholesome Poulti-y Products Act 
calls for a nationally uniform system of 
poultry inspection by August 1971. To 
achieve this, each State is given until 
August 1970 — or an additional year If 
significant progress is being made — to 
build a poultry inspection system that 
measures up to the Federal program 
operated by the Consumer and Market- 
ing Service. 

Between August 1968 — when the new 
Fedei-al law was enacted — and June 1969, 
a number of steps were taken to assure 
that strict inspection standards will 
cover the 13 percent of U.S. poultry sup- 
ply not covered by Federal inspection 
because of its movement only within 
State lines. 

A sum-up shows that : 

*Federal-State teams completed sur- 
veys to evaluate inspection needs of non- 
federally inspected poultry processing 
operations in 49 States and Puerto Rico. 

'Seven States — California, New Jer- 
sey, Wisconsin, Missouri, Delaware, Vir- 
ginia, and Florida — were granted Fed- 
eral assistance through cooperative 
agreements for developing strict inspec- 
tion programs. 

*More than 600,000 pounds of poultry 
products, found in marketing channels 
to be in violation of the law, were de- 
tained in 85 separate actions. 

* Twenty-two poultry plants were 
identified by USDA in cooperation with 
State officials, as constituting a danger 
to public health, with follow-up action 
by States to see that conditions were 
corrected. 



TEN BOYS FROM the 
Atlanta Youth Center, At- 
lanta, Ga., recently spent 
10 days at camps at Alla- 
toona and Waco, Ga., 
thanks to USDA and Co- 
operative Extension Serv- 
ice employees — members 
of the USDA Club in At- 
lanta. Bonuses for each of 
the boys were Atlanta 
Braves baseball hats, balls, 
and bats presented by Jay 
Meehan (left), of the Con- 
sumer and Marketing Serv- 
ice and chairman of the 
USDA Club's activities 
committee. Also pictured 
from left are Curtis John- 
son; Allan Cosby; Helen 
Brickley, Forest Service 
and chairman of the club's 
welfare committee; Grady 

Burdette; Dan Driggers, Farmers Home Administration and vice-president of the Atlanta USDA Club; 
and (in the rear) Terry Allan, Atlanta Youth Council. The Atlanta USDA Club, one of the most active 
In the country, currently has nearly 500 members. 




Osprey Protection Planned 

The Forest Service recently an- 
nounced plans to establish the first man- 
agement area to preserve a breeding 
ground for the American osprey, a fish 
hawk which is losing its battle for 
survival. 

The bird, resembling a bald eagle, has 
a wing span of 4^2 to 6 feet. Its most 
spectacular habit is that of catching fish, 
plummeting claws first into the water 
to capture its prey. 

The new management program, in 
cooperation with the Oregon Game 
Commission and the Bureau of Recla- 
mation, involves a favored nesting area 
of the ospreys at Crane Prairie Reservoir 
in the Deschutes National Forest in 
Oregon. 

In a survey of the area last year, the 
Forest Service found 50 nests, 27 of 
which were being used by nesting birds. 
Forest Service Chief Edward P. Cliff said 
this is definitely the largest concentra- 
tion of active nests in the Pacific North- 
west and perhaps one of the largest in 
the Nation. 

The birds arrive each spring at Crane 
Prairie, lay two to four eggs in nests 
precariously perched on dead snags, and 
raise their young during the summer. In 
September, they wing south for the win- 
ter — probably to Central and South 
America. 

This is one of a growing number of 
management programs in National 
Forests designed to provide added habi- 
tat protection to rare, endangered, or 
unique wildlife species. Among the most 
notable are the bald eagle, Kirtland's 
warbler, and California condor pro- 
grams. 

Of the approximately 150 species of 
wildlife listed as rare or endangered, 
one-third live in or near National For- 
ests. The Forest Service has either drawn 
up plans for, or is giving special habitat 
management emphasis to 26 of these. 



Midwinter Outlook Conference Set 

The National Agricultural Outlook 
Conference, held annually by USDA in 
Washington, D.C., is scheduled for 
February 16-18, 1970. This midwinter 
time was selected again because of the 
general success of the 1969 conference. 

Midwinter scheduling allows for more 
timely analysis and discussion of cus- 
tomary start-of-the-year State of the 
Union, Budget, and Economic messages 
and their implications for agriculture. 
Prior conferences had been held in the 
fall of each year. 

Traditional topics — such as develop- 
ments in commodities, food, and family 
living — will continue to receive compre- 
hensive coverage at the conference. 



MRS. VIOLA ARMSTRONG 
was beseiged by newsmen 
during the historic moon 
exploration flight. A retired 
employee of the Auglaize 
(Ohio) County Agricultural 
Stabilization and Conserva- 
tion Service Office, she 
continued to answer ques- 
tions politely and concisely 
before batteries of micro- 
phones and cameras as 
newsmen sought her reac- 
tion to the historic voyage. 




MOTHER OF ASTRONAUT COMMANDER IS ASCS RETIREE 



The mother of astronaut Neil A. Arm- 
strong could take a professional interest 
in his lunar surface sampling technique. 
Soil samples were a basic, if unspectac- 
ular, step in her work as conservation 
programs clerk until Mrs. Viola Arm- 
strong retired from the Auglaize County 
Agricultural Stabilization and Conser- 
vation Service Office in Wapakoneta, 
Ohio. 

Her first retirement check arrived the 
day following the astronaut's moon walk 
along with letters and telegrams that 
required 3 hours for opening. 

The reactions of Mrs. Armstrong and 
her husband, Stepheri, were recorded 
during each major activity phase of the 
flight of the Columbia and Eagle. The 
three television networks pooled cover- 
age of the astronaut's parents with a 
transmitting antenna towering 80 feet 
above the driveway of their attractive 
home at 912 Neil Armstrong Drive, 
Wapakoneta. Over 70 newsmen were on 
hand during the moon walk phase of the 
adventure. 

The quiet composure of Mrs. Arm- 
strong throughout the ordeal was no 
surprise to her former associates in the 
Auglaize office where she worked for 
more than 7 years. 

She was highly regarded as adept in 
working with farmers and others who 
visited the office. There, Mrs. Armstrong 
shared counter duties with Mrs. Betty 
Wehrle, in receiving all comers. 

Thomas Byrne, county ASC committee 
chairman, recalls, "Viola certainly met 
the public well; farmers got prompt, 
courteous, and complete service from 
her. Always." 

Don Steiner, office manager, remarks 
on how well she separated life as mother 



of the first civilian astronaut from her 
office duties: "Of course there were times 
when we knew she was concerned. Only 
once, however, did she betray anxiety. 
That was during Neil's 1966 space flight 
when something went wrong."' [A 
thruster fired unexpectedly and threw 
the spacecraft into wide gyrations.] 

Wapakoneta advertised itself as 
"home of the first civilian astronaut," 
but few people connected the unassum- 
ing and efficient ASCS clerk with the 
daring Neil Armstrong. In time, however, 
everything and everyone connected with 
astronaut Armstrong became a source of 
curiosity. The pressure of continuing 
and mounting public attention was cited 
as a factor in Mrs. Armstrong's decision 
to resign. 

Now, ASC committeeman Willis Mil- 
ler, whose farm is adjacent to Wapa- 
koneta "s Neil Armstrong Airport, reports 
visitors are taking samples from those 
grounds. 

The Stephen K. Armstrongs have two 
other children. Son Dean is a Purdue 
graduate employed as an engineer in 
Indiana. Daughter June, trained as a 
registered nurse, now lives in Wisconsin 
with her doctor husband. 

Son Neil had his eyes on the stars from 
the age of 6 when he first flew as a 
passenger in an airplane. At 14, his 
parents vetoed his decision to order a 
war surplus plane. Licensed as a pilot at 
16, he flew Navy fighters in Korean 
combat, returned to civilian life and was 
a test pilot for the rocket-powered X-15 
before his selection as an astronaut. 

Today, Mrs. Armstrong admits to 
friends that she is concerned for her 
son's safety during his space adventures, 
but declares she is happy that Neil Is 
doing what he wants to do. 



3 



BB 




i 




VOYA RAYKOVIC "bones-up" on some of the latest developments in animal diseases research at ARS' 
Veterinary Biologies Division, Ames, Iowa. 

SCIENTIST BECOMES NATIVE TO A FOREIGN LAND 



The employee training program of 
USDA may mean different things to 
different workers. But to Voya Raykovic, 
the program means overcoming a 
double handicap — being totally deaf 
since birth and in a country where the 
native language is not his own. 

Raykovic, a native of Yugoslavia, is 
a microbiologist for the Agricultural Re- 
search Service in Ames, Iowa. When he's 
not solving technical problems that 
occur in Government check tests on the 
quality of animal vaccines, he attends 
Iowa State University, concentrating on 
fast lip reading to understand English 
better and to reduce his accent. 
Raykovic's instructor reports that 
"Raykovic is probably as good a lip 
reader as one will encounter. What he 
has been able to accomplish is remark- 
able." 

Unusual language feats, however, seem 



commonplace for Raykovic. After grad- 
uating from the University of Belgrade 
in 1950, he set out to learn German just 
so he could study further in Hanover, 
Germany. Later, he turned his linguis- 
tic talent to Swedish in order to work at 
a hospital in Goteborg. He decided to 
master English when he moved to the 
United States in 1959. Besides German, 
Swedish, and English, Raykovic under- 
stands Russian, Italian, Spanish French, 
and Serbian, his native tongue. 

But his accomplishments don't end at 
linguistics. He is a skier par excellence, 
and in the 1953 Olympics contest for the 
deaf at Oslo, Norway, he took second 
place in slalom racing. 

Raykovic's wife also is deaf, but their 
two daughters have no hearing 
impediment. 

Raykovic came to work for USDA in 
1967. 



CUTTING CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION COSTS 



Two new construction techniques be- 
ing developed by Agricultural Research 
Service scientists may cut costs of build- 
ing concrete structures and aid in 
developing low-cost housing. 

Engineers Joseph W . Simons and B. 
Carl Haynes, Jr., of Athens, Ga., are 
developing thin sections of concrete — 
reinforced with short steel fibers — for 
slab-on-grade floor construction. (Slab- 
on-grade simply means pouring concrete 



on a compacted earth or gravel base.) 

These precast sections are laid on the 
compacted base and topped with more 
concrete thus saving on-site labor. Add- 
ing 2 percent of steel fibers (by volume) 
to the mix has doubled slab strength as 
compared to non-reinforced concrete. 

This method could reduce the amount 
of concrete needed, and cut handling 
equipment and transportation costs. 
Another method showing promise is 



NINE MORE AREAS RECEIVE 
FOOD STAMP PROGRAM 

Secretary Hardin recently designated 
nine more areas in seven States for the 
Food Stamp Program. These areas will 
be operating a USDA family food pro- 
gram for the first time. 

So far, 2,733 of the Nation's 3,129 
counties and independent cities are or 
soon will be offering food coupons (food 
stamps) or donated foods to their 
needy families. 

The Food Stamp Program enables 
eligible low-income families to increase 
their food-purchasing power by invest- 
ing their own food money in Federal food 
coupons worth more than they paid. The 
coupons are spent like cash at retail food 
stores, enabling families to purchase a 
more adequate diet. 

Families in the newly designated areas 
will begin receiving food stamps after 
State officials have taken the steps 
needed for effective and efficient opera- 
tion. 

These steps include training welfare 
case workers in the community on Food 
Stamp Program objectives and proce- 
dures, arranging for coupon issuance, 
and certifying families as eligible for the 
program. At the same time, Consumer 
and Marketing Service personnel will 
meet with retail grocers and food whole- 
salers to assure their understanding of 
the food industry role before being 
authorized to accept and redeem the 
food coupons. 

The new areas by States are: IOWA, 
Fayette County; KANSAS, Reno 
County; MICHIGAN, Midland County: 
MINNESOTA, Freeborn County; MON- 
TANA, Chouteau, Prairie, and Custer 
Counties; NEBRASKA, Burt County; 
and NEW YORK, Chenango County. 
ioooooooooccoccooeooooe co ft 

"The development of sound, " 
effective, and acceptable farm pro- 
grams for the 1970's will require 
increased understanding on llie part 
of American consumers of agricul- 
ture's problems, needs, and contri- 
bution to the national economy." 

— Secretary Hardin 
August 4, 1969 
Gridley, 111. 

iOOCCOOOOCOOOOCCCCOGCCOOOOOC 

surface bonding of stacked concrete 
blocks, eliminating the use of mortar. 
The bonding mix contains y2-inch 
lengths of chopped fiberglass filaments 
and can be applied as fast as paint. 
Initial tests with the mix indicate that 
joints are several times stronger than 
those where regular mortar is used. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

AUGUST 28, 1969 Vol, XXVIII No. 18 

4 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Llllie Vincent, Editor of USDA. INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



j uup.o ukj Dnnixon 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVIII NO, 19 
SEPT. 11. 1969 



USDA RESPONDS TO DISASTER IN THE WAKE OF CAMILLE 



Within a short time after the awesome 
force of Camille ripped through Missis- 
sippi and Louisiana, USDA personnel 
were supplying food, materials, and 
other assistance to the hurricane's thou- 
sands of victims. Similar response oc- 
curred in Virginia where Camille, trans- 
formed into a massive rainstorm, 
unleashed torrential rains on the James 
River Basin a few days later. 

Field forces of USDA in the three 
States performed valiant work beyond 
their normal call of duty. In many local- 
ities, USDA people who live in or nearby 
the stricken communities were first to 
reach homes of storm victims with help 
and reassurance. 

Upon realization of the intensity with 
which Camille had ravaged the Gulf 
Coast, Secretary Hardin dispatched a 
task force, headed by Executive Assis- 
tant E. F. Behrens, for an on-the-site 
inspection of major categories of needs 
that agencies of the USDA could meet. 

These were: d) The needs of refugees 
and storm-stranded residents for food. 
(2) The needs to assess damages to agri- 
cultural lands, animals, crops, and fa- 
cilities, (3) The needs for assistance in 
salvaging as much downed timber as pos- 
sible: to reduce insect infestations that 
would spread to and destroy remaining 
healthy stands: and the need to guard 
against the high risk of forest fires, (4) 
The needs for spraying areas where large 
accumulations of dead animals and de- 
bris could lead to the proliferation of 
flies and mosquitos and the need to fight 
fire ants which were spread throughout 
the area by the storm. 

James Farrar, officer in charge of Food 
and Nutrition Service, McComb, Miss., 
rushed to hard-hit Bay St. Louis imme- 
diately following the storm. He arranged 
for foods to be brought in to meet esti- 
mated needs of the community. The next 
day he found 3,000 families without food 
in D'Iberville, across the bay from Bi- 
loxi. Hp again got word out and food was 
helicoptered in from Jackson. 

Mollis Henry, assistant to FNS com- 
modity district supervisor, Johji Hughes. 
and several assistants went to Gulfport 




nMkti^ 



NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS unload USDA food for distribution to emergency feeding stations and 
outlets in North Biloxi, Miss. More than 5.3 million pounds of USDA food was made available to 
feed survivors of Camille's visit to Mississippi, Louisiana, and Virginia. 



as soon as an automobile could get 
through. They worked around the clock 
to set up and maintain food distribution 
operations throughout the critical emer- 
gency period. Meanwhile, Hughes and 
his staff were busy in Jackson coordinat- 
ing distribution of emergency foods 
throughout the stricken areas along 
the coast. 

Approximately 250,000 pounds of food 
were sent into Shreveport, La., for dis- 
tribution to hurricane victims, mainly 
in Plaquemines and Washington Par- 
ishes. John J. Slaughter, FNS Regional 
Director at Dallas, Tex., reported that 
his office had a team of men in the area 
during the storm to set up emergency 
food operations. 

Truckloads of USDA food were rushed 
to Virginia immediately after the still- 
dangerous Camille had dumped from 10 
to a reported 27 inches of rain on some 
areas. FNS personnel were on the scene 
to distribute the foods. 

An immediate allocation of $300,000 
was made to the Mississippi Agi-icultural 



Stabilization and Conservation State 
Committee for clearing debris-strewn 
land and building new fences. Funds 
were later made available to the Vir- 
ginia ASC State Committee for similar 
use. In both States, ASCS extended 
emergency grazing privileges on reserve 
cropland taken out of production. Offi- 
cials said that more ASCS funds may be 
made available later for a broader range 
of necessary practices and programs. 

Preliminary estimates from a Forest 
Service aerial survey of coastal Missis- 
sioni and westprn Virginia indicate that 
more than 450.000 acres of timberland 
are heavily damaged with an additional 
750,000 acres classified as lightly to mod- 
erately damaged. In hard-hit DeSoto 
National Forest in Mississippi a survey 
team reported timber covering 6.000 to 
8,000 acres was down or badly damaged 
with heavy damage to roads, bridges, 
buildings, and other facilities. 

At Gulfport. where damages to the 
Forest Service research buildings are 
icontmucd on page 2t 




EDITOR BERYLE STANTON 
(seated) is proud of the 
December 1968 issue of 
"News for Farmer Coopera- 
tives." It won third place 
and a plaque for best use 
of photographs in a general 
circulation magazine in the 
Cooperative Editorial Asso- 
ciation's Annual competi- 
tion at the University of 
Chicago. Illinois. Visual spe- 
cialists (from left) Clarence 
Johnson, Helen Spurzem, 
and Osceola Madden also 
get credit. All are Division 
of Information staff mem- 
bers, Office of Management 
Services, in Washington, 
D.C. 



Kirby Named Associate 
Administrator of FES 



(continued from page one) 
estimated upward of $100,000, a forest 
seed orchard was a near victim of the 
hurricane. The seeds, which must be kept 
under refrigeration to germinate, were 
saved when a portable generator was 
brought in from a Texas Job Corps 
Center to provide power during a 48-hour 
blackout. 

About 100 campers spending the night 
beside Sherando Lake in Virginia's 
George Washington National Forest 
were saved from possible drowning and 
injury when Max Downey braved Ca- 
mille's deluge to warn them of flash 
flooding. Downey, area administrator of 
the Forest Service campground, arrived 
at the lake about 2 a.m., aroused the 
sleeping campers, and helped them to 
higher ground. He carried several of the 
campers on his back across flooded 
ground as Sherando's normal 6 acres 
rapidly grew to almost 50 acres. 

Thirty-three Mississippi and 25 Vir- 
ginia counties have been designated eli- 
gible for Farmers Home Administration 
emergency loans to restore farm opera- 
tions, and the agency's housing loan pro- 
gram will also be called into use in the 
disaster areas. In Mississippi alone, Ca- 
mille's tidal waves and 200-m.p,h winds 
destroyed an estimated 366 farm, build- 
ings and caused major damage to 
another 400. 

The Rural Electrification Administra- 
tion made $2.3 million in emergency 
loans funds immediately available to 
four cooperative rural electric systems 
in Mississippi to speed temporary power 
to service areas blacked out by Camille. 
Another $6.3 million in REA loans were 
approved to enable three of these coop- 
eratives to install permanent lines and 
equipment to replace those destroyed by 
the storm. Temporary service to most of 
the consumers was restored through 
around-the-clock efforts of the coopera- 
tives' crews with help from neighboring 
States and areas. 

The wife of a USDA employee who had 



the only workable telephone in her area 
became virtually a one-woman commun- 
ications network for the Agricultural Re- 
search Service emergency activities in 
Camille's aftermath. 

Mrs. George Dumal of Gulfport made 
the living room of her home a communi- 
cations center for the ARS Southern 
Regional Plant Pest Control Division 
Headquarters for the 7 days Headquar- 
ters telephones were out of commission. 
Using the family telephone and a two- 
way radio supplied by USDA. she served 
as the main link with officials in Wash- 
ington, D.C, disaster headquarters, and 
emerg°ncy workers at the scene. Mrs. 
Dumal 's husband is administrative offi- 
cer at the PPC Regional office. 

The improvised communications sys- 
tem enabled PPC to carry out many 
emergency measures. One of the most 
important was the spray program 
against massive numbers of flies, mos- 
quitoes, and other disease-carrying pests 
attracted to the flood area. The spraying 
operations also included aerial applica- 
tion of Mirex bait to 75,000 acres of Gulf 
Coast land to protect people from the 
painful stings of imported flre ants scat- 
tered about by the winds and rains. The 
bait was donated by the manufacturer. 

These items barely touch on the many 
instances of single and combined action 
of USDA personnel to bring aid to Ca- 
mille's victims. Many of the actions 
saved lives: many were acts of heroism. 
In the words of James V. Smith, FHA 
Administrator, "... perhaps the most 
effective response by people of USDA 
agencies was their immediate mobiliza- 
tion to go into the rural disaster areas by 
helicopter where roads and bridges were 
demolished, make contact with the peo- 
ple, and let them know that the world 
was aware of their tragedy." 



?^, 4Cik 




E. L. KIRBY 



Edwin L. Kirby, 

Columbus, Ohio, 

was recently 

named Associate 

Administrator of 

the Federal Ex- 
tension Service. 
In announcing 

the appointment, 

Secretary Hardin 

said that Kirby 

is uniquely quali- 
fied to serve in 

the USDA post. 

The new Associate Administrator has 
been associate director of the Coopera- 
tive Extension Service, Ohio State Uni- 
versity, since 1964. Earlier he served as 
assistant director of the Ohio Extension 
Service, Extension district supervisor, 
assistant State 4-H Club leader, associ- 
ate county agent, and a high school vo- 
cational agricultural teacher. 

Kirby is a member of the Extension 
Committee on Organization and Policy 
I ECOP » . He served as chairman of the 
ECOP Legislative Committee and as 
chairman of the North Central Extension 
Directors. He was a recent chairman of 
the National Task Force on Cooperative 
Extension In-Service Training, and a 
member of the Advisory Board for the 
National Project on Agricultural Com- 
munications. 

Kirby holds degrees from Ohio State 
University and Cornell University. He 
also has done gi-aduate work at the Uni- 
versities of Maryland and Wisconsin and 
at Ohio State University. 




DR. WILLIAM E. SHAKLEE (left), president of 
the Organization of Professional Employees of 
the Department of Agriculture, and Carl B. 
Barnes, USDA director of personnel, conclude 
the signing of a recent agreement between 
USDA and OPEDA providing for the voluntary 
withholding of dues for employees who are 
OPEDA members. 



2 



Soil Conservation Service 
Helps Branch Out' 

At the entrance to an 8,800-acre ranch 
in Loraine. Tex., is a plaque telling how 
Daniel Webster "80 John" Wallace 
(1860-1939), born of slave parents, be- 
came a cowboy at age 15 and rode with 
a trailherd from Old Mexico to Kansas. 
The marker was put there by the Texas 
State Historical Survey Committee be- 
cause "80 John" Wallace helped pioneer 
the Old West. 

The history surrounding Wallace's life 
abounds with tales of cattle barons, the 
Chisholm Trail, the fast gun, and life 
among the Comanches. 

Wallace went to work for a rancher in 
Colorado City, Tex., in 1877. picking up 
the name "80 John" because the ranch- 
er's cattle had number "80" burned on 
their sides. 

He acted on the advice of his boss and 
began buying up rangeland at $1.50 an 
acre. In 1891, he started his own ranch 
on which oil was later discovered. 

At the time of his death, Wallace 
owned more than 9,000 acres of land, 600 
head of cattle, an eight-room house, and 
bam lots and corrals. 

Today, Travis S. Branch, Wallace's 
son-in-law. is boss of the historic ranch. 
Branch, an outstanding cooperator in 
USDA's Great Plains Conservation Pro- 
gram, knows well the worth of efficient 
management of land, grass, water, and 
cattle. And he has benefited from suc- 
cessful conservation practices which 
ranchers have been applying for years. 

The Great Plains Conservation Pro- 
gram, administered by the Soil Conser- 
vation Service, provides technical aid 
and cost-sharing to farmers and ranch- 
ers for installing conservation measures 
to improve the land. 

Under the terms of two contracts with 
SCS, Branch has formulated plans for 
water and fencing to get the best use 
of his grassland. He has developed irri- 
gated pasture for a dependable forage 
supply; terraced the sloping cropland on 
which he rotates cotton, grain, and 
sorghum; and managed the residues 
from crops to control wind erosion. 

The result has been a profitable ranch- 
ing operation, with all resources pro- 
tected against the hazards that cattle- 
men in the area have grown to expect. 

Branch is concerned, but mildly so, 
about finding full-time help to work the 
"80 John." Says Branch, "I don't believe 
the younger generation is cut out for 
this kind of life. I'm not a youngster any 
more and I can't move about as fast as I 
could even a year ago, but I can think 
of nothing I would rather do than live 
and work out here in the open. A ranch- 




Sor ^s 

Conservation / 



DISTRICT f 



^t- 




TRAVIS S. BRANCH, manager of the "80 John" 
Wallace ranch at Loraine, Tex., inspects a sign 
that signifies his membership in the Mitchell 
County Soil and Water Conservation District. 
Branch also participates in the Soil Conserva- 
tion Service's Great Plains Conservation Pro- 
gram. 



Agri 

C7 



Briefs 



.4GRICULTL1R.\L WASTE PRODUCTS 
can be made into products useful to man. 
For example, sugar cane stalks are made 
into v*alIboard, and oat liulls are trans- 
formed into valuable chemicals. Why isn't 
this sort of thing done more'? 

USD.A scientists have made good paper 
from straw and have found ways to make 
useful products out of corn cobs. But such 
wastes accumulate in small quantities at 
farms and feed mills. It does not pay to 
transport them to central points for proc- 
essing. Sugar cane stalks and oat hulls can 
be used because they accumulate in large 
quantities at certain factories. 

Timber sales from National Forests in 
the 13 Southern States FOR THE FIRST 
TIME totaled more than 1 billion board 
feet for a single year. Thus the South 
joins four other Forest .Service regions as 
producers of a billion or more board feet 
of timber. (\ board foot is 1 foot square 
and 1 inch deep.) 

The new record chalked up by the South 
is a particular success because that region 
is comparatively new as a timber produc- 
tion area. 

SWEET SORGHUM may become a sup- 
plementary source of sugar becau.se of a 
new method of removing starch from 
sorghum juice. 

Research leading to the discovery was 
conducted by chemist B. .4sliby Smith at 
an Agricultural Research Service labora- 
tory in Weslaco, Tex. 

Sweet sorghum is an easily managed 
crop that requires little labor and water. 
Yield is about 20 tons of stalks per acre 
and raw sugar content ranges from 180 
to 230 pounds per ton. 



er's life may be rugged, but it's re- 
warding." 

Were he alive today, "80 John" Wal- 
lace would probably nod his approval. 



HOW LONG IS A FOOT? 

If a yard is the length of an arm, 
whose arm should be used a.s the stand- 
ard? 

Despite the fact that Jefferson, Adams, 
Franklin, and Lincoln all advocated the 
metric system of measurement, the 
United States has not yet officially 
adopted it — even though it is legal here 
and more than 90 percent of the world 
has adopted it. 

In 1960 virtually the only countries n^t 
officially on the metric system were the 
English-speaking nations. Since then, 
the British Government has ordered a 
changeover to be completed before 1975. 
A Canadian commission expects to report 
favorably this year. 

A 1967 study estimated that a 20-year 
conversion period would cost about $11 
billion. But it has also been estimated 
that not changing costs the United 
States $10 to $25 billion annually in 
world trade. Each year's delay boosts 
conversion costs by about 7 percent. 

As a result of congressional action in 
1968, a 3-year feasibility study is under- 
way in the United States. Many major 
manufacturers, the military services, all 
the sciences, international sports — 
among others — have already moved into 
metric designations. 



FHA Interest Rates 
Changed for Investors 

Interest yields up to 8.50 percent on 
government insured notes issued by the 
Farmers Home Administration were re- 
cently announced by Dr. Marshall 
Burkes, assistant administrator for in- 
sured loans. 

The new rates, effective August 18, re- 
turn 8.50 percent to investors on FHA 
insured notes held for periods of 10 
through 25 years. Insured notes held 3, 
4, or 5 years yield 8.25 percent interest 
and those held 1 or 2 years return 8 
percent. 

FHA insured notes previously returned 
a flat 8 percent to investors for terms 
ranging from 1 through 25 years. 

Dr. Burkes also announced that the 
notes are available in blocks of $10,000 
or more. The new minimum purchase 
order was raised from $5,000 because few 
notes of that denomination were avail- 
able. There is no maximum limit on the 
amount of an investment. 

The agency's insured loan volume ap- 
proximated $1 billion in the fiscal year 
ended June 30 and is budgeted at $1.7 
billion this fiscal year. The notes cover 
loans advanced by FHA for housing. 
farming, and community facility proj- 
ects, including water and wast* disposal 
systems in rural areas. 



3 




MISS VIRGINIA L. RODRIGUEZ (right), a Family Service Specialist in Espanola, N. Max., visits one 
of the families receiving Farmers Home Administration assistance. 

Family Service Specialists Lend A Helping Hand 



"As I walked into the house I saw that 
there were very large holes in the roof, 
and no panes or screens in the windows. 
An open well stood in the yard with 
water which was unsafe for drinking. 

"An elderly widow who had a stroke 
last year cannot care properly for the 
three children and six grandchildren 
living with her. The children run around 
the house filthy and dirty, letting in 
plenty of flies. A 5-week-old baby is so 
tiny that she doesn't have enough energy 
to cry very loudly." 

This was the scene that greeted Mrs. 
Ruby Brown as a newly hired Family 
Service Specialist with the Farmers 
Home Administration. It is a typical 
scene for the i-ural poor. 

Mrs. Brown helped the family receive 
an FHA rural housing loan for a new 
seven-room house, complete with run- 
ning water, bathroom and proper light- 
ing, and sufficient screening against in- 
sects. She also accompanied the family 
on their first visit to the local health 
center. 

FHA has 69 such specialists trained in 
home economics and the social services 
who work in 112 low-income counties in 
21 States and Puerto Rico. Their work 
is based on home visits to loan borrowers' 
families. There, the specialist shows 
homemakers how to make and repair the 



family's clothing as well as how to pre- 
pare nutritious meals using USDA com- 
modity foods. The specialist also en- 
courages homemakers to take advantage 
of programs such as the Food Stamp 
Program to make the best use of family 
income. 

The Family Service Specialist makes 
sure, too, that the family has the proper 
health care. She urges them to visit their 
local health center and aids them in 
understanding the importance of good 
health practices. 

The specialist helps families to im- 
prove their general living conditions. She 
suggests loans they may apply for from 
FHA, and helps the homemaker make 
curtains, refinisli used furniture, and 
buy inexpensive, but adequate, equip- 
ment. 

She also encourages unemployed heads 
of households to visit local job employ- 
ment centers. In 1968, 374 people were 
referred to job centers and all found 
employment. 

All in all, the work of the Family Serv- 
ice Specialist is very rewarding — she can 
see the results of her efforts in helping 
the rural poor pull themselves up out of 
poverty. 

It takes 1 ACRE OF HEALTHY FOR- 
EST 20 years to grow the lumber for a 
five-room house. 



APPOINTMENTS 

Secretary Hardin recently named FRED 
W. BENSON and ELMO A. CARLSON to 
the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation's 
Board of Directors. They join three USDA 
officials previously appointed to the five- 
man board — Assistant Secretary Clarence 
D. Palniby, chairman; Carroll G. Brunt- 
haver, associate administrator. Agricul- 
tural Stabilization and Conservation Serv- 
ice; and Richard H. Aslakson, manager, 
Federal Crop Insurance Corporation. 

The board serves as the policy-making 
body for FCIC, which pays indemnities to 
Federally insured farmers whose crops are 
damaged by weather, insects, or disease. 

Benson is vice-president of a crop in- 
surance firm in Iowa; president of the 
Crop Insurance Research Bureau; vice- 
chairman of the National Crop Insurance 
Council; president of the Iowa Association 
of Mutual Insurance Associations; and a 
director and former president of the Na- 
tional Association of Mutual Insurance 
Companies. 

Carlson is vice-president and director 
of a bank in Cliappell, Nebr. ; partner in 
a local insurance firm; and owner-opera- 
tor of a beef cattle feeding operation and 
wheat farm. 



Two USDA employees, DONALD E. 
PERCIVAL of Milwaukee, Wis., and 
HENRY S. RODRIGUEZ of Washington, 
D.C., were among the 25 employees from 
17 Federal agencies and the District of 
Columbia Government selected to partici- 
pate in the 1969—70 Congressional Fellow- 
>hip Program. 

Percival is with the Forest .Service''s 
Office of Personnel in Region IX. Rod- 
riguez is chief of the Private .'school Oper- 
ations Branch, School Lunch Division, 
Food and Nutrition Service. 

Tlie Fellowship Program, which runs 
from mid-November 1969 until Septem- 
ber 1970, offers promising young Federal 
executives the opportunity to acquire a 
tliorough understanding of congressional 
operations. They assume full-time assign- 
ments in congressional offices or with com- 
mittees and attend weekly seminars with 
Members of Congress and other Govern- 
ment officials. 



CLARENCE L. MILLER of Shelbyville, 
Ky., and a former .Assistant Secretary of 
.Agriculture was recently named as agricul- 
tural attache on the staff of the U.S. Em- 
bassy in Madrid, Spain. 

Miller ran a family farm near Shelby- 
ville fr»)m 1940 until 1953 when he was 
named chairman of the Kentucky Produc- 
tion and Marketing .Administration State 
Committee of USDA. He later came to 
Wasliington, D.C., where he worked with 
the Commodity Stabilization .Service (now 
the .Agricultural Stabilization and Conser- 
vation .Service) until 1958 when he was 
appointed .Assistant Secretary for Market- 
ing and Foreign Agriculture. 

Miller returned to Kentucky in 1962 to 
operate his farm and serve as a marketing 
consultant. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

SEPTEMBER 11, 1969 Vol, XXVIII No. 19 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoninq ivhenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43^361-235 U.S. government rulNTlNG OFFICE 



')nu 



^ «wp,s; uu ert/\ivc« 






>^i>c 





fmt 






EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVII! NO. 20 
L SEPT. 25, '969 



Armored Trucks Increase 
Food Stamp Sales 

More residents of Los Angeles County 
public housing projects are now able 
to participate in the Food and Nutri- 
tion Service's Food Stamp Program 
largely because of a new service — the 
use of armored trucks for issuing food 
stamps to participants in their own 
neighborhood. 

The new service, a cooperative effort 
of businessmen, public officials, and pri- 
vate social service agencies, provides 
both check cashing and food stamp pur- 
chasing, making it easier for more low- 
income families to buy the stamps. 

United California Bank experimented 
with an armored truck unit at one hous- 
ing project to relieve congestion at a 
branch bank on the days when welfare 
and pay checks arrive and most food 
stamps purchases are made. The experi- 
ment was an immediate success and the 
Los Angeles Department of Public Serv- 
ices took over the operation, expanding 
to seven housing projects on a scheduled 
basis. 

At one housing project, the neighbor- 
hood YWCA Center took over promo- 
tion of the truck sales. A group of 
women delivered flyers in Spanish and 
English to each of the project's 412 fam- 
ilies, explained the new service, and 
urged eligible persons to participate in 
the Food Stamp Program. 

On the days the truck visits the hous- 
ing project, Spanish interpreters, pro- 
vided by the YWCA Center, stand by 
as armored truck guards check identi- 
fication, cash checks, and issue food 
stamps. 

Sally Detra, YWCA director at the 
housing project, says, "Truck sales have 
been a complete success. The conveni- 
ence is increasing participation in the 
Food Stamp Program among project 
residents because they no longer need 
spend half a day going to the bank." 



.Average CON.SU.MPTION OF MUS- 
T.ARD in llie United StaU-s amount's to 
about one-iialf pound per person — or 
about five limes what it was in 1920. 
Montana is the mustard seed-produiinj; 
king among the .States. 




EVAN MERRILL, SCS hydraulic engineer from Boise, Idaho, shows Boy Scouts at the Jamboree 
how the action of falling raindrops can cause erosion on bare soil, but not on soil protected by 
grass or mulch. This demonstration was part of the conservation instruction area at the Jamboree 
where Scouts learned basic principles of resource use and management. 

USDA Exhibits Are Jamboree Attractions 

Exhibits and demonstrations devel- 
oped by Department agencies were 
among the major attractions at the 7th 
National Scout Jamboree held at Far- 
ragut State Park, Idaho, in July. More 
than 30,000 Boy Scouts and Explorers 
attended the Jamboree. 

"Conservation — Today's Frontier" was 
the theme of the Soil Conservation Serv- 
ice exhibit which included two model 
watersheds. One showed a typical West- 
ern watershed and its natural resources 
before the settlers, loggers, and hunters 
arrived on the scene. The second de- 
picted conservation practices on the 
same watershed today when the needs 
of both agriculture and urban areas are 
being met through good resource use 
and management. 

Typical soil profiles from various 
parts of the country were also on dis- 
play, together with a full-color mural 
showing how snow surveys determine 
the available seasonal water supply from 
high-country snowpacks for use on 
farms and in towns in the valleys below. 

Forest Service personnel explained 
firefighting equipment used by smoke- 
jumpers, and manned a full-scale fire 



tower to show Scouts the importance of 
protecting the Nation's forests. 

A slide-tape program prepared by the 
Agricultural Research Service told how 
remote sensing devices are used in re- 
searching vegetation management proj- 
ects. Each Scout received a copy of the 
ARS magazine. Agricultural Research, 
with a story and full-color photographs 
giving further details on remote sensing 
research methods. Also in use as an 
instructional feature was an electrical 
question and answer board on plant pest 
control which could be operated indi- 
vidually by the Scouts. 

The USDA exhibits were also viewed 
by the several thousand visitors to the 
Jamboree. 

At the close of the Jamboree. Scouts 
prepared a "Commitment to Action" 
statement calling for youth involvement 
in today's major problems. Conservation 
placed second on the list with emphasis 
on air and water pollution, soil erosion, 
diminishing wildlife, plants, and trees. 

The statement commits each Scout to 
work toward intelligent use of natural 
resources in home communities. 




ARTHUR W. GREELEY, Associate Chief of the Forest Service, and Jackie Benmgton. America's Junior 
Miss for 1969, discuss the book, "The National Forests of America," presented to Miss Benington 
as a remembrance of her visit to Forest Service National Headquarters. Miss Benington, a native of 
Huntington Beach, Calif., was selected as the Nation's .ideal high school senior girl at the 12th 
Annual Junior Miss Pageant in Mobile, Ala. While in Washington, D.C., she stopped at USDA to 
lend a hand in the antilitter campaign and to promote National Forest vacations. 



SCS WATERSHED PROJECT PROVES ITS VALUE 



Dramatic proof that small watershed 
projects administered by the Soil Con- 
servation Service are highly effective in 
preventing floods came out of a record 
thunderstorm recently in north central 
Tennessee. 

Two adjoining watersheds — Salt Lick 
Creek and Jennings Creek — were both 
deluged by eight to nine inches of rain 
in 6 hours. Two lives were lost and sev- 
eral million dollars in damages occurred 
in the unprotected Salt Lick Creek 
watershed. In the protected Jennings 
Creek watershed, damages were limited 
to an estimated $200,000. 

The nearly completed Jennings Creek 
project prevented an estimated $1 mil- 
lion in damages — almost one-third of 
the project's total cost. This savings is 
based on damages suffered in storms 
before the watershed project was built. 
Ten earthen dams, of the 12 dams 
planned, held back the flood's crest, re- 
leasing water more slowly for hours after 
the storm. 

Most of the damage along the Salt 
Lick Creek was suffered by the resort 
community of Red Boiling Springs in 
Macon County. About 35 homes and 15 
businesses were torn from their founda- 
tions and at least 120 automobiles were 
swept away in the flash flood. Two young 



girls were pulled from their mother's 
grasp and drowned. 

Less severe storms frequently bring 
flooding to the Salt Lick Creek water- 
shed and residents had considered a 
small watershed project under Public 
Law 566. It was turned down, however, 
when community leaders could not raise 
the local share of the project cost. 

Soon after the recent floods, the 
Red Boiling Springs City Council passed 
a resolution requesting SCS assistance 
for a project in the Salt Lick Creek 
watershed. 

Meanwhile, several USDA agencies 
are joining in the restoration of stream 
channels, agricultural lands, and other 
flooded areas in four counties. 

SCS district conservationists, Arthur 
Fuqua, Bill Medley. Marion Swipson, 
and Bob Wylie are directing technical 
assistance. 

The Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service will provide 80 per- 
cent cost-sharing on $250,000 in assist- 
ance to the four counties. ASCS farmer 
field men in the area are Levi Dickerson 
and Joh?i Collier. 

Charles Keisling, Farmers Home Ad- 
ministration county supervisor at Red 
Boiling Springs, is taking applications 
for FHA housing loans. 



STATES COLLECT FROM 
NATIONAL FOREST FUND 

Thirty-nine States and Puerto Rico 
are receiving record returns this year as 
their shares of receipts from products 
and services of the 187 million acres of 
National Forests administered by the 
Forest Service. 

Secretary Hardin announced that the 
returns total $78,151,846 for the 1968- 
69 fiscal year. Last year the refund total 
was $52 million. 

The money represents approximately 
one-fourth of the total funds received 
from timber harvests, grazing fees, rec- 
reation, power, and other land-use fees 
collected from National Forests. 

The so-called "25 percent fund" is 
distributed annually through State 
Treasurers to counties in which National 
Forests are located. The money must be 
spent by the counties for schools and 
roads. 



Guidelines Are Issued 
On Training Agreements 

Federal agencies have been told by 
the Civil Service Commission that train- 
ing agreements using written tests must 
be modified to conform to the new merit 
promotion policy or they will be can- 
celed. The revised Federal Merit Promo- 
tion Policy became effective July 1. 

Training agreements are developed by 
agencies and approved by the Commis- 
sion as a means of providing intensive 
and specialized training for employees 
who lack the experience needed to per- 
form a new job. The agreements enable 
agencies to bring employees into a new 
field of work and to train them fully in a 
minimum of time. Many agreements 
provide for promotion of the employee 
either during or at the completion of the 
training period. 

The new policy provides that for pro- 
motions, transfers, or other placement 
actions, a written test may not be used 
as a screening device. Nor may a written 
test be used as the sole means of evalu- 
ating candidates. A written test, how- 
ever, may be used for in-service place- 
ment only when it is required by Com- 
mission standards or when the test and 
testing procedures meet Commission 
guidelines. 

The Commission emphasized that its 
approval in the past of a test or test- 
ing procedure in a training agreement 
does not constitute its approval for use 
after June 30, 1969. 



NITROCELLULOSE, derived mainly 
from wood pulp, is a major ingredient 
of some solid fuel propellants for 
rockets. ' 



A Stream In Profile 

A unique visitor information facility 
was recently completed and dedicated in 
the Eldorado National Forest in Califor- 
nia. Located on the South Shore of Lake 
Tahoe, the Forest Service's Rainbow 
Pool-Taylor Creek Stream Profile 
Chamber is the only one of its kind open 
to the public. 

The Chamber is built parallel to Tay- 
lor Creek, half-in and half-out of the 
ground so that visitors may look into 
the "profile" of a live mountain stream. 
A 33-foot expanse of windows with 21/2- 
inch-thick glass allows viewers to see 
numerous types of aquatic life in their 
natural habitat. Inside the Chamber, ex- 
hibits and displays help visitors identify 
the fish and understand other features 
of life in the stream. 

Of particular interest are the Kokanee 
Salmon. During the fall spawning season 
tens of thousands of these fish, turned 
a brilliant red, invade Taylor Creek in 
an instinctive run upstream to lay their 
eggs and then to die. The Stream Profile 
Chamber provides a spectacular view of 
the spawning run. Various types of trout 
are also a popular sight. 

Taylor Creek is itself unique. Al- 
though some 63 tributaries empty into 
Lake Tahoe, almost 90 percent of the 
stream spawning by various species of 
fish in the Tahoe Basin takes place in 
Taylor Creek. This is partially because 
of Forest Service management of the 
stream flow: Water is stored behind a 
dam, and released as needed to main- 
tain the optimum flow to suit the needs 
for spawning. 



New Discovery By 
USDA-OSU Team 

A team of USDA and Oregon Agri- 
cultural Experiment Station scientists 
has discovered a mycoplasma in plants 
closely related to similar micro- 
organisms found in animals. It is the 
first such organism to be isolated and 
grown in artificial media. 

Dr. Richard O. Harnvtoji, Agricultural 
Research Service plant pathologist, dis- 
covered the new mycoplasma and de- 
veloped techniques for isolating and 
purifying it. 

Dr. Thomas C. Allen, Oregon State 
University plant pathologist, and Dr. 
James O. Stevens, OSU veterinarian, de- 
veloped new methods for characterizing 
and producing the mycoplasma and for 
establishing its close relationship witli 
others infectious to animals. 

Mycoplasmas are associated with a 
number of human diseases including 
leukemia, arthritis, and pneumonia. 




THE GOLDEN AGE OF BUTTER 

This year marks the iSOtli anni- 
versary of the ollicial L'..S. .Stand- 
ards for Grades of Hiilter. These 
slan«hirds <leterniiiie tlie (|uality of 
tlie proiluet and are an important 
sli(»p|)er*s aid. 

Last year ahout 65 percent of all 
hutler sold in this country \»as olli- 
eiall_% j-ratled by the Dairy l)i\i»ion 
of the Consnnier and Market in;: 
.Ser\ ice. 



FARMERS CAST THEIR LOTS 

Farmers in 3.061 counties throughout 
the Nation will vote during the last half 
of September for more than 131.000 Ag- 
ricultural Stabilization and Conserva- 
tion county and community committee- 
men and alternates. 

These farmer-elected committees are 
the local administrators of Agricultural 
Stabilization and Conservation Service 
farm programs, such as acreage allot- 
ments, marketing quotas, and crop price 
supports. 

A minimum of 3,061 regular ASC 
county committeemen will be elected, 
plus 6,122 alternates to serve when reg- 
ular members cannot attend or a va- 
cancy occurs. One regular member of 
each ASC county committee is elected 
annually to serve a 3-year term. Farmei-s 
in counties where vacancies have oc- 
curred will elect additional committee- 
men to serve out the vacancies. Alter- 
nates are elected for 1-year terms. 

A total of 121,965 community com- 
mitteemen and alternates will also be 
elected. Of these, 73,179 will be regular 
members, 48,786 will be alternates. All 
community committeemen and alter- 
nates are elected for 1-year terms. 

The unique system of elected ASC 
committeemen provides direct represen- 
tation of farmers in administration of 
farm programs and helps keep ASCS 
close to the "grassroots." 



VISITORS TO THE Ro ibow 
Pool Taylor Creek Stream 
Profile Chamber learn 
about life in a mountai. 
strean. As they listen to c • 
alogue through earphones, 
they can view trout, sal- 
mon, and other aquatic life 
through windows built be- 
low the stream level The 
creek bed can be seen 
sloping from right to center 
in the photograph. 



APPOINTMENTS 

DR. IVAN A. W OLFF, A^iricultnral Re- 
search .Ser\ice scientist, recently was 
named director of the Eastern Utilization 
Research anti Development Diviyion in 
I'hiladelphia. Pa. The ELRDD is one of 
live AR.S centers where research is carried 
on to find new and improved uses for 
a^iricultural jjrodiicts. 

For the past 28 years, Dr. \S olfl" 
lias conducted chemical research for 
AR.S at the IVoria, III., laboratory. His 
early research letl to the preparation 
of cellophane-like films from special 
starches. 

Since 19.16, he has been in char;;e of 
stndies to exploit the indnslrial potential 
of many plants. 

The appointment of CL.\RE.\(^E A. 
ANDER.SON, Salt Lake City, Utah, as 
■Stale director of the Farmers Home .Ad- 
ministration for Utah was recently au- 
in)unced by .Secretary Hardin. 

-Anderson served as FHA's Utah State 
director from 1951 to 1961 when he be- 
came a credit examiner for a Salt Lake 
Uily banking; institution. 

.Secretary Hardin rect-ntly announced 
the following; appointments of a^iricid- 
tural attaches and olllcers: 

NMLLLAM VON SEGGERN, former au- 
ricultiiral altaciic to .Ankara. Turkey, and 
consultant to the A;;ency for Intern;ilional 
Development in W ashin;;ton. D.C.. and 
Djakarta, Indonesia, as a;;ricultural at- 
taclx' to Thailand : 

JAMES C. FRINK. assistant a;;ricnl- 
lural attache to Tok><>. Japan. «ince 1964, 
as agricultural attache to (Greece: 

HARLAN J, 1)1 KKS. head of the coni- 
niodity analysis Ijrandi of the Li>estock 
and Meat Products Division of the For- 
ei;:n Agriculture .Serxice since 1966, as 
a^iricullural atla<hc to Denmark. Dirks 
will ha\e reportini; responsibility lor both 
D«'nmark and Nor\»a>: 

RADO J. KINZIU HER. a::ricultural al- 
tac-Iie in l.ai;os. Nigeria, since 19<>,5. as 
aiiriciiitiiral ollicer at the American (Con- 
sulate, Handiuru, (ierniau>. x\here he xiill 
be assistant to the auricidtiiral attache in 
lionn. 



3 



SCIENCE IS SUBJECT OF SLIDE SET SERIES 



A color slide set now available from 
the USDA Office of Information tells 
how research, particularly that of the 
Department of Agriculture, is helping 
to keep^ --America beautiful. It explains 
h'AV Agricultural Research Service sci- 
entists are developing new plants capa- 
ble of living with today's difficult grow- 
ing conditions (such as auto fumes and 
heavy ravement) ; how the scientists are 
bringing ornamentals into the country 
for propagation and distribution; and 
how ARS personnel are guarding the 
Nation's borders against agricultural 
pests. 

The slide set, "Science and America's 
Beauty," is one of a series of three pro- 



duced by ARS on agricultural science. 

These presentations are helpful to 
USDA people and others who have been 
asked to talk about Department activ- 
ities before State, county, or even com- 
munity groups. The sets can be ordered 
from the Office of Information, U.S. De- 
partment of Agriculture, Washington, 
D.C. 20250. They cost $8 apiece and each 
is accompanied by two copies of the 
illustrated narrative guide or lecture 
notes. 

All three are also available as film- 
strips for $5.50 each from the Photo Lab. 
Inc., 3825 Georgia Avenue NW., Wash- 
ington, D.C. 20011. 

The slide set series are described at 
right. 



Nutrition Aides Work With Homemakers 



Giving a cooking demonstration for 
a homemaker who had no skillet or serv- 
ing dish was a recent project of a nu- 
trition aide working with the Extension 
Service. The aide reported that a skillet 
and a dish were borrowed from the 
homemaker's neighbor, and "The cook- 
ing turned out pretty good except the 
food didn't brown because the home- 
maker's oven would only heat up to 225 
degrees." 

The nutrition aide is one of nearly 
5,000 such aides in Extension's expanded 
food and nutrition education program. 
Extension began hiring and training the 
nonprofessional aides in January 1969, 
recruiting them from the neighborhoods 
in which they would work. By July 1 
they were reaching almost 200,000 low- 
income families in selected areas of the 
50 States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Is- 
lands, and the District of Columbia. 

An important part of the nutrition 
aides' work is helping families stretch 
their food dollar. One aide reported a 
family with whom she worked bought 
expensive specialty foods at the first of 
the month and were hungry enough to 
beg by the third week. She helped them 
make a food shopping list, accompanied 
them to the store, and helped select the 
staple foods first. She later reported that 
the father of the family was elated when 
he discovered that they had plenty to 
eat at the end of the month. 

Another important job of the aides 
is to help families make the best use 
of the foods they receive through the 
USDA Commodity Distribution Pro- 
gram. One mother was in despair be- 
cause her baby did not like the powdered 
milk. An aide discovered the mother was 



trying to feed the child the milk still 
in powdered form. 

Aides in one urban area put a new 
twist to the old method of cooking 
school. The aides visit homemakers to 
invite them to attend cooking demon- 
strations dealing entirely with foods re- 
ceived through the Commodity Distribu- 
tion Program. The homemakers watch 
foods prepared and then take the recipes 
home to try. 

Through home visits and personal 
contact with homemakers, the nutrition 
aides are bringing food and nutrition 
education where it is most needed. A 
typical comment that the aides hear is, 
"How wonderful that someone cares 
enough to send you to our door." 



ACHIEVEMENTS 

GEORGE H. FOSTER, a firain investi- 
jjiations leader for llie .Af:rii-iilliiral Re- 
*car<-h .Service".-* Transportation and 
Facilities Research Division, Purdue Uni- 
versity, Lafayette, Ind., was recently 
honored by the .American Society of -Agri- 
cultural Engineers as an AS.AE Paper 
-Vward winner. 

Foster's paper, co-authort'd by Thonia.s 
L. Thompson and l{. .'\I. Peart, was one 
of eight selected by .A.S.AE for awards. 
Over 300 papers were evaluated. 



DR. H. M. CATHEY, leader of orna- 
mental investigations for the .Agricultural 
Research .Service, was recently i>resented 
the 1969 Norman Jay C^olnian -Award by 
the -American -Association of Nurserymen. 
The annual award, whi<-ii is named for 
the first .Secretary of -Agriculture, is given 
for "outstantling contributions to horti- 
cultural researcii." 




SCIENCE AND AMERICA'S BEAUTY, C-157, 47 
frames. Tells what agricultural science is doing 
to Keep America Beautiful — from plant explora- 
tion around the world to scientific research at 
home. 




SCIENCE AND FOOD FOR FREEDOM, C-138, 47 
frames. Of increasing interest, this program 
shows how science is helping to produce more 
food in the world. 




AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE PROTECTS OUR EN- 
VIRONMENT, C-140, 49 frames. Science is 
finding new ways to cope with problems de- 
veloping out of increased population and in- 
dustrialization. Pollution of air and water and 
new ways to protect land for both conservation 
and beautification are among subjects dis- 
cussed. 



VICTORY AT SEA 

In July, R. L. Beukenkamp, Foreign 
Agricultural Service coordinator, 
coached the Washington-Lee High 
School rowing crew (four with coxswain) 
to victory in the U.S. Youth Champion- 
ship in Buffalo, N.Y. His son, Felix, is a 
member of the crew. 

The Arlington, Va., crew also competed 
last month in the Youth World Regatta 
in Naples, Italy, finishing sixth. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

SEPTEMBER 25, 19G9 Voi. XXVIII No. 20 

4 



USDA is pubUshed fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible: for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA. INF, Department of Agriculture. Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43 — 303-123 U.S. government printing orFlcc 






UUjJ.O WW 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL, XXVIII NO. 21 
OCTOBER 9. 1969 



Handcrafts Featured 
At Co-op Month Event 

Fascinated visitors are crowding tlie 
exhibit area to watch Richard Schnacke 
whittle a whimmy diddle and James 
Kilraine decorate pysanki eggs. 

Schnacke, from Proctor, W. Va., and 
Kilraine, from Branchdale, Pa., are 
among the craftsmen featured at the 
1969 Co-op Month Crafts Exhibition in 
the Patio of the USDA Administration 
Building, Washington, D.C., during the 
October Co-op Month celebration. 

The two men, along with the weavers, 
tinsmiths, rug makers, potters, wood- 
carvers, glassblowers, quilters and other 
craftsmen participating in the month- 
long exhibition, are preserving handcraft 
skills that are part of the American heri- 
tage. All the articles on display are the 
work of members of craft guilds or co- 
operatives representing 30 States. 



A WHIMMY DIDDLE, g tay 
popular with children for 
more than 100 years, is 
one of the articles made by 
Richard Schnacke, a folk 
toy maker from West Vir- 
ginia, at the 3d Annual 
Co-op Month Craft Exhibi- -,._^_-^ _, 
tion. The propeller at trte-'--'— =-* '"5^^*'^ 
end of the notched stick .-!■•. 

whirls around when a 
second stick is run along 
the notches. 



Each year these exhibits have drawn 
tourists, crafts "buffs," scout troops, 
women's clubs. Last year 65,000 visitors 
toured the crafts and cooperative 
exhibits. 

The workers at the exhibition are 
sponsored on the Washington trip by 
farming supply, processing, marketing, 
and rural electric cooperatives in their 
home areas. 





In addition to the crafts, graphic dis- 
plays tell Patio visitors the story of co- 
operatives. How much these associations 
have done to improve the quality of life 
for rural Americans is recounted through 
stories of the people who make coopera- 
tive progress so successful. 

Cooperatives of all types, now serving 
one-third of the families in America, 
observe October as their special month. 
Governors in most States have issued 
proclamations and nationwide celebra- 
tions are scheduled throughout the 
month. 



JAMES KILRAINE, Branchdale, Pa., displays his skill at decorating pysanki eggs at the Co-op Month 
Crafts Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Looking on is Marta Procinsky, Hyattsville, Md., wearing a cos- 
tume from the Ukraine, where the art of pysanki eggs originated. The eggs are usually decorated for 
the season of Lent. Also on the table are Ukrainian ceramics made by Kilraine. 



FHA Holds Major Meetings 

Solutions to the credit problems of 
small rural communities and family 
farmers were discussed at two major 
program meetings held by the Farmers 
Home Administration in mid-September. 

James V. Smith, FHA Administrator, 
presided over the two 2-day workshop 
sessions, held in Minneapolis and Okla- 
homa City. 

Participants were key FHA personnel 
including the newly appointed State 
directors. 

During the 12 months ending June 30, 
FHA advanced $1.4 billion in loans and 
grants for farm ownership and operating 
expenses, construction of rural housing, 
and development of rural community 
facilities, including water and sewer 
systems. 



MORE TH.AN 80 percent of the USD.4 
staff buy U.S. Savings Bonds. 



School Lunch Week 
Set For Oct. 12-18 

Since 1946 when the National School 
Lunch Act was enacted, millions of 
school-age children have received nu- 
tritious lunches each day. 

In recognition of the program's vital 
role, Congress, in 1962, designated the 
7-day period beginning with the second 
Sunday in October each year as National 
School Lunch Week. This year it is Oc- 
tober 12-18. 

Through Federal-State-local coopera- 
tion, the National School Lunch Program 
has become the largest single food serv- 
ice industry in the Nation — more than a 
billion-dollar-a-year operation. 

Last year the lunch program helped 
provide noon meals to about 19.9 million 
children in nearly 76,000 schools. Almost 
3.4 billion meals were served. About 15 
percent of these were free or greatly 
reduced in price for children whose 
parents could not afford the regular low 
price. 

Although the school lunch program 
will be featured in special ceremonies 
and activities during National School 
Lunch Week, emphasis will also be placed 
on other child nutrition programs such 
as the School Breakfast Prog»am. the 
Special Food Service Program for pre- 
school youngsters, and the Special Milk 
Program. All these programs are admin- 
istered by the Food and Nutrition 
Service. 

This year more money and manpower 
than ever before are being put into the 
programs — with emphasis on reaching 
more children from low-income families. 
USDA has set a target of reaching 6.6 
million neeily -children with free or re- 
duced price lunches. This is the esti- 
mated number of children from low- 
income areas considered in need of better 
nutrition through school programs. 



ACHIEVEMENTS 

DR. ROBERT J. ANDERSON, asso< iale 
admini:;trator of the Agricultural Re- 
search Service, was recently named re- 
cipient of the -American Veterinary Medi- 
cal Association's first public service award. 
The award recognizes outstanding service 
or contributions to public health and regu- 
latory veterinary medicine. 

Anderson, a USD.\ veterinarian since 
1935, was cited for his work in the success- 
ful campaign to eradicate foot-and-mouth 
disease in Mexico and to update interna- 
tional quarantine procedures against this 
and other animal diseases. He was instru- 
mental in modernizing the national bru- 
cellosis, tuberculosis, scabies, and tick 
programs and lias been responsible for 
advancing salmonella control programs 
and interagency review of pesticide usage. 

As chairman of Secretary Hardin's com- 




AFTER ADMINISTERING the oath of office to five members of the Advisory Board of the Commodity 
Credit Corporation, Secretary Hardin and other top USDA officials look over a Presidential Commis- 
sion. Board members, whose appointments were announced by President Nixon in August, are from 
le.'t: Robert D. Livingston, Sacramento, Calif.; Dr. Robert R. Spitzer, Burlington, Wis.; John Gammon, 
Marion, Ark.; Rufus Adams, Jackson, Ga.; and Milton L. Morrison. Salina, Kans. Livingston was re- 
appointed, having been first appointed in 1968. With Secretary Hardin are Undersecretary J. Phil 
Campbell and Assistant Secretary Clarence D. Palmby. CCC approves and finances price support and 
related activities. The Advisory Board meets at least every 90 days to study general policies of the 
Corporation. 



Scientific Report: Moon Is Moon, That s All 



Moon dust doesn't hurt earth plants. 
It may even help them. 

Dr. Charles H. Walkinshaw, plant 
pathologist with the Southern Forest 
Experiment Station, New Orleans, La., 
reported this and other findings of the 
first comprehensive botanical tests avail- 
able from the Apollo 11 mission. 

Dr. Walkinshaw is the Forest Service 
leader of a team of scientists evaluating 
effects of lunar materials on more than 
30 species of plants. The work is done at 
the quarantine facilities of the Lunar 
Receiving Laboratory of NASA's manned 
spacecraft center, Houston, Tex. 

Four sets of each species of plants were 
used for the tests. The first set received 
no treatment. The second was treated 
with sterilized earth materials, the third 
with sterilized lunar rock, and the fourth 
with unsterilized lunar rock. 

Some plants, tobacco for example, 
grew best and were greenest when 
sprinkled with unsterilized lunar rock 
powder. Uniformly, plants treated with 



sterilized lunar rock did less well than 
those treated with unsterilized rock. 

Dr. Walkinshaw said fern was es- 
pecially interesting because its spores 
grew best on lunar material. Lettuce also 
grew vigorously in the presence of moon 
rock. The growth of algae and longleaf 
pine, however, was inhibited initially. 

Seedlings of higher plants, such as 
tomato, bean, and wheat, survived well 
after treatment with lunar materials. In 
fact, some grew better and were healthier 
than untreated seedlings. Microbes were 
not detected in the pulverized moon rock 
used on the plants. 

"Plants cannot grow in moon dust 
alone because it lacks sufficient nutrients. 
However, with the proper nutrients 
added, it would serve as a good medium," 
Dr. Walkinshaw reported. The moon soil 
has a high titanium content, is low in 
potassium and sodium, and appears to 
lack organic matter. "It is unlike any- 
thing else we knew about. Moon is moon, 
that's all." 



mittee on hog cholera since its inception, 

.Anderson has guided the program to where 

the disease should be eradicated by 1972. 

LLOYD L. HARROLD, Soil and Water 



Conservation Research Division, .Agricul- 
tural Research .Service, Coshocton. Ohio, 
was recently elected a Fellow in the Ameri- 
can Society of Agricultural Engineers. 



DRAMATIC RESCUE EARNS 
SCS MAN HERO MEDAL 

Early one Sunday morning last April, 
the Soil Conservation Service technician 
from Kealakekua, Hawaii, drove to re- 
mote Hookena Beach for a quiet day of 
spearfishing and swimming with his two 
daughters. 

Instead, Kwong Sin Paik spent his 
"quiet day" in a battle with heavy surf 
to rescue two boys from drowning. 

Paik and his daughters were just arriv- 
ing at the beach when a runner appeared, 
shouting that three fishermen had been 
swept offshore by a large wave up the 
beach at Lae Alamo Point. No telephones 
were nearby so Paik sent his daughters 
for help while he and the runner drove 
to the Point, a volcanic bluff rising 20 
feet above crashing breakers and half- 
submerged rocks. In recent years, nine 
persons have perished off the Point. 

The final half-mile to the scenic but 
treacherous site is inaccessible by car 
and rugged lava beds make walking 
painfully difficult. When Paik could 
drive no nearer, he ran barefoot across 
these lava beds to reach the Point. 

Bystanders had gathered onshore, but 
none had braved the big waves which 
had carried Thomas Okuna, his 9-year- 
old son Neal, and another man, Lorenzo 
Pahec, offshore. Near the big rocks, Paik 
could see the boy bobbing face down in 
the surf and presumed he was dead. 

"Then," Paik related, "and this is the 
strange part— I thought I heard a sound. 
I don't know if I really heard it or 
not . . . but I suddenly decided that the 
boy might be alive." 

Paik had brought along an auto inner- 
tube that he used for fishing. Accom- 
panied by 16-year-old Joseph Kanada, 
he leaped into the surf to get the Okuna 
boy. They reached young Neal, placed 
him across the makeshift preserver, and 
moved him away from the dangerous 
rocks. Paik administered artificial res- 
piration until the boy began coughing. 

Paik left the two boys clinging to the 
innertube to search for the two men. 
By noon, it was apparent the boys 
could not last much longer, and as yet 
no boat had been launched to pick them 
up. So pushing the unconscious boy 
lying across the innertube and towing 
the exhausted Joseph, Paik began a tor- 
turous swim against strong outward cur- 
rents. Two hours later, when a boat 
finally arrived, the trio had traveled 
almost a mile — nearly to Hookena Beach 
where the episode began. 

Assured that both boys were safe, Paik 
swam back to the Point with three others 
to look for Neal's father. (Pahec had 
managed to scramble ashore unhurt.) 
Paik led the unsuccessful search for 4 
hours until halted by dusk. Next day. 



KWONG SIN PAIK, SCS 
technician from Kealake- 
kua, Hawaii, visits Lae 
Mamo Point, scene of a 
dramatic rescue which 
earned him the Carnegie 
Hero Medal. 




scuba divers found the body in a lava 
cave that had been covered by Sunday's 
high tides. 

On September 22, Paik received the 
Carnegie Hero Award — a bronze medal 
and $750 — for his actions. The Andrew 
Carnegie Hero Award, founded by the 
famed industrialist and philanthropist 
in 1904, honors persons who voluntarily 
risk their lives to an extraordinary de- 
gree in saving, or attempting to save, 
another person, or sacrifice themselves 
in a heroic manner for the benefit of 
others. 

Among those praising Paik's actions 
was SCS Administrator Kenneth E. 
Grant, who wrote him: "I want to con- 



gratulate you on your actions under ex- 
tremely difficult circumstances in this 
rescue effort ... It is certainly in the 
finest tradition that you willingly placed 
your own life in extreme jeopardy in 
bringing off the successful rescue of 
these two individuals." 

An SCS supervisor said Paik, who is 
47, was in excellent physical condition 
and was not bothered at all by the exer- 
tions of the rescue. "He came to work 
Monday morning, and said nothing of 
the previous day's adventure. It was not 
found out by his coworkers until the 
newspapers came out." 

It was Paik's third successful rescue of 
drowning victims. 



"TASTE IN" GIVES PROOF OF THE PUDDING 



Potato-Cheese Bake, Chicken With 
Tomatoes, and Peanut Butter Quick 
Bread were acclaimed the most popular 
dishes at a recent "Taste In" for low- 
income homemakers in New York City. 
The dishes, as well as 15 other mouth- 
watering selections available for tasting, 
were all made from foods provided 
through USDA's Commodity Distribu- 
tion Program. 

The "Taste In" was planned by the 
health guides from Riverside Health 
Center in Manhattan. 

The health guides, themselves home- 
makers in the community, are hired and 
trained by the New York City Health 
Department to provide a link between 
the community health services and prob- 
lem households. Through home visits 
and group meetings, they give counsel- 
ing on food, nutrition, consumer buying, 
health and health-related services, and 
other subjects related to daily life prob- 
lems of the needy. Some 88 guides are 
assigned to health centers in 11 of the 
city's neediest districts. 

With more than 350,000 people in New 
York City receiving food aid under the 



Commodity Distribution Program, one of 
the guides' important tasks is helping 
low-income homemakers learn to use 
donated foods to the best advantage. 

The "Taste In" was an outgrowth of 
cooking demonstrations given by the 
guides for individual homemakers and 
before groups at community schools and 
the health centers. The success of the 
"Taste In" has encouraged similar pro- 
grams at other city health centers and 
around the country. 

The health guides have also compiled 
an attractive booklet of recipes called 
"Tasty Dishes Using USDA Foods." 



Meanwhile . . . Back At The Ranch 

The University of Arizona Agricul- 
tural Extension Service recently re- 
leased the results of an informal sur- 
vey of 500 4-H youngsters that showed: 
Most do not live on farms anymore: none 
had ever driven a binder or hoed corn: 
only 13 of the group had pitched hay; 
and only two had plowed with horses. 

3 




KENNETH E. FRICK. 
seated, Administrator of 
the Agricultural Stabiliza- 
tion and Conservation Serv- 
ice, discusses the 1969 
ASC Community Commit- 
tee elections with four of 
the six Negro farmers re- 
cently named by Secretary 
Hardin to serve as ASC 
State Committeemen. They 
are, from left: George W. 
Spears, Mound Bayou, 
Miss.; Claude C. Kennedy, 
Jr., Marianna, Ark.; Law- 
rence G. Davis, Decatur, 
Ala.; and Earl A. Roque, 
Natchez, La. Not shown are 
Marconi C. Smith, Sander- 
ville, Ga., and Reuben B. 
Jones, Circleville, Ohio. 



DR. GEORGE W. IRVING, 
JR., Agricultural Research 
Service Administrator, pre- 
sents the ARS Adminis- 
trator's Safety Award to 
Mrs. Edna Atkinson, Safety 
Representative of the Con- 
sumer and Food Econom- 
ics Research Division, as 
Dr. Faith Clark, looks on. 
Dr. Irving so honored 17 
divisions primarily respon- 
sible for making 1968 a 
record year for safety for 
ARS employees. The 
awards were in conjunction 
with a 2-day seminar for 
safety representatives of 
all ARS divisions and 
major installations. 




A Forest In A Nut Shell 



Visitors to a National Forest in New 
Mexico receive an unusual welcome. 
They are greeted by a bilingual beaver. 

The talented little fellow invites the 
visitors to tour the Beaver National 
Forest and tells them about the forest 
resources. He explains how the Forest 
Service administers the National Forests 
under Multiple Use Management and 
calls attention to the displays demon- 
strating these uses. He speaks both Eng- 
lish and Spanish. 

The chatty beaver is, of course, man- 
made, and so is the lV4-acre Beaver 
National Forest, the smallest forest 
maintained by the Forest Service. 

Displays at the tiny forest demon- 
strate graphically with living plants and 
models of people and animals, the use 
being made of National Forest resources. 
Visitors see two loggers cutting timber; 
a family camping and fishing along a 
live stream; cattle and sheep grazing. 
The most prominent feature is a fire 
tower manned by a model lookout. 



Nearby an expertly designed exhibit 
operated by the Soil Conservation Serv- 
ice shows the effects of good and bad 
land management. 

The forest, which is built to half- 
scale, and the SCS exhibit dominate the 
outdoor area of the Ghost Ranch Mu- 
seum near Abiquiu, N. Mex. The mu- 
seum, built in 1959 by the Charles 
Lathrop Pack Forestry Foundation, is a 
nonprofit, educational exposition of nat- 
ural history and resource conservation 
in the Southwest. Exhibits include live 
animals and plants of the area and 
fossil specimens from nearby quarries. 

A geological display features tele- 
scopes focused on different strata of the 
colorful cliffs which serve as the mu- 
seum's backdrop. 

The attraction has proved popular 
with northern New Mexico visitors. The 
talking beaver has welcomed more than 
a million people to his "National Forest 
in a nutshell." 



Can You Top These? 

Although not actually in compe- 
tition with each other, two em- 
ployees of the Forest Service 
Washington Office are working on 
what may well be a Department 
record for earned sick leave hours. 

As of September 6, 1969, Arlene 
M. Martin had 2,298 hours of 
earned sick leave to her credit and 
lona I. Shaw had 2,259 hours. 

Miss Martin, secretary to the 
Director of Personnel, Forest Serv- 
ice, is an lowan with 26 years of 
Federal Service. She has been in 
the Division of Personnel Manage- 
ment since 1947 and worked in the 
Branch of Classification until 1961. 

Miss Shaw, who is from Mis- 
souri, is statistical assistant in the 
Division of Timber Management. 
She first joined the Forest Service 
in 1935 as a file clerk on the Mark 
Twain National Forest. She be- 
came secretary to the Supervisor 
and later Resource Clerk. In 1953 
she went to the Shawnee National 
Forest, Illinois, where she was pay- 
roll and personnel clerk until her 
promotion to Washington. Except 
for occasional dental work, she has 
had only two doctor bills in her 
entire life. 

The editor of USDA would be 
happy to hear from anyone in the 
Department who can top these 
ladies' hours of sick leave credit. 




ROY LENNARTSON, left. Consumer and Mar- 
keting Service Administrator, congratulates 
Eddie Kimbrell of the C&MS Livestock Division, 
Washington, D.C., on receiving a Career Edu- 
cation Award from the National Institute of 
Public Affairs. Kimbrell recently returned from 
a year's study in public administration and 
economics at Stanford University. 



The U.S. produces 75 percent of 
WORLD'S SUPPLY OF SOYBEANS. 



the 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



OCTOBER 9, 1969 

4 



Vol, XXVIII No, 21 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058. 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43— 364-115 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



VUHU 



"-' >Jn/i/VL,M 



"^ 



Ai^ 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL. XXVIII NO. 22 
OCTOBER 23, 1969 



Farm-City Week 
Is November 21-28 

President Nixon recently designated 
the week of November 21 through No- 
vember 28, 1969, as National Farm-City 
Week. 

In so doing, he urged all Americans to 
participate in the observance as a means 
of better understanding the significant 
interdependence of urban and rural 
America. 

The President pointed out that as our 
society becomes more complex, it also 
grows more interdependent. For 
example, agriculture serves as a $50 
billion customer to our economy. The 
marketing and processing of food and 
fiber provide almost 5 million non-farm 
jobs and a $25 billion annual payroll. At 
the same time, technological changes on 
the farm have so increased agricultural 
efficiency that record production has 
been achieved by fewer people. Many 
rural residents have therefore migrated 
to the cities. While some have become 
productive contributors to urban society, 
many others have been unable to find 
new economic roles. 

President Nixon particularly urged 
the Department of Agriculture, the 
land-grant colleges and universities, the 
Cooperative Extension Service, and 
appropriate organizations to carry out 
programs to mark National Farm-City 
Week. 

The programs should emphasize: 

— The development of better under- 
standing and effective working relation- 
ships between farm and non-farm 
residents ; 

— The scientific and technological 
advances in agriculture and their 
significance for the lives of both rural 
and urban dwellers; 

— The need to plan more effectively 
how to use our land, conserve our 
natural resources, and protect the 
quality of our environment; 

— The im.portance of maintaining and 
enhancing the social and economic 
health of farms and rural commimities. 

— The urgency of providing oppor- 
tunities for disadvantaged people in 
both rural and urban areas to partic- 
ipate more fully in the economic life of 
the Nation. 



^3 




THE FARM POND illustrates the multiple benefits offered by ACP practices. The pond provides water 
for livestock and wildlife; helps control erosion, stream siltation, and flooding; is used for fishing 
and boating; and adds beauty. 

ACP For 1970 Offers Multiple Benefits 



The Agricultural Conservation Pro- 
gram for 1970 will help protect the 
nation's agricultural resources and will 
contribute directly to improving the 
environment of all Americans — rural, 
suburban, and urban. 

In announcing the 1970 ACP, Secre- 
tary Hardin emphasized public benefits 
as well as conservation assistance to 
farmers. 

Major features of the 1970 ACP 
demonstrate this concern, according to 
officials of Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service, the agency which 
administers the ACP. These features 
are: 

— Encouragement of enduring con- 
servation practices. 

— Addition of basic authority for 
pollution control through conservation 
measures. 

— Maintenance of reserve funds by 
State ASC Committees for special proj- 
ects with total-community benefits, for 
beautification-conservation, and for pol- 
lution control through conservation. 

— Provisions encouraging participa- 
tion by low-income farmers. 

Under the ACP the Federal Govern- 



ment encourages conservation by 
sharing with farmers and ranchers part 
of the cost of conservation measures on 
agricultural lands. Farmer requests for 
ACP cost-sharing are made to the 
county ASC committees. 

A principal consideration in weighing 
requests is the conservation benefits 
which will accrue in the public interest. 
Farmers and ranchers may choose con- 
servation practices such as installation 
or improvement of perennial grass lands, 
construction of farm ponds and grassed 
waterways, placement of trees and 
shrubs on eroding land, or stabilization 
of streambanks. 

These and the many other approved 
ACP practices directly benefit the public. 
Ponds and reservoirs help prevent flood- 
ing and silting, provide wildlife habitat, 
often have public recreational benefits. 
Trees and shrubs which beautify the 
countryside, also keep both air and water 
cleaner by preventing wind and water 
erosion of the soil. 



Three out of everv 5 acre* of COM- 
MERCI.AL FOREST L.\>D in Uie United 
Slates are owned by private citizens. 




MICHAEL MASON (right), 
programer at USDA's Data 
Processing Center, Wash- 
ington, D.C., explains the 
functions of a computer 
disc storage device to a 
group of summer aids. 
Looking on are: (left to 
right) Mark Riddle, USDA 
Executive Intern; Bill Henry, 
aid co-ordinator for the 
Office of Management Serv- 
ices; and aids, Leroy 
DeEastern, Diane McCully, 
Carroll Warfield, and Mary 
White. 



REA Loan Covers 
A Power Desert ' 

A loan to make electricity available 
in the last great "power desert" in the 
continental United States, was recently 
approved by the Rural Electrification 
Administration. The location is a 12,800 
square mile area of east central Nevada 
and west central Utah. 

The $15.1 million loan will enable a 
new rural electric cooperative, Mt. 
Wheeler Power, Inc., Baker, Nev., to 
bring initial central station electric 
service to 1,161 farms and ranches in 
the vast area. 

"This is rural electrification at its 
best, bringing electric service to widely 
scattered farms, ranches and rural 
homes," Secretary Hardin said of the 
loan. 

About 90 percent of the service area 
of the new electric cooperative is in four 
counties in east central Nevada; about 
10 percent is in three counties in west 
central Utah. Consumer density in the 
new service area will average about one 
consumer to the mile of line. The av- 
erage of all rural systems financed by 
REA is about 3.6 consumers to the mile 
of line. 

Under the loan provisions, Mt. 
Wheeler Power will acquire facilities of 
the Ely Light and Power Co., Ely, Nev., 
which include 196 miles of distribution 
line serving 3,358 consumers and 10 
miles of transmission line. These lines 
will be extended to provide service to 93 
new rural consumers. More than 1,051 
miles of distribution lines will be built to 
serve some 1,068 new consumers. 

Upon completion of facilities, the Mt. 
Wheeler cooperative will be serving 
4,519 consumers over 1,593 miles of line. 




LA VELTON DANIEL works on a project at the 
ARS Stored-Product Insects Research and 
Development Laboratory, Savannah, Ga., where 
he was employed during the summer. 

SCIENCE FAIR LEADS 
TO SUMMER JOB 

La Velton Daniel of Avera, Ga., 
USDA's Special Merit Award recipient 
at the 20th International Science Fair, 
recently completed a pleasant and prof- 
itable summer. Daniel accepted summer 
employment with the Agricultural Re- 
search Service's Stored-Product Insects 
Research and Development Laboratory 
in Savannah, Ga. 

Daniel became acquainted with the 
varied research projects conducted in 
stored-product entomology. His assign- 
ment in the biology section provided the 
opportunity to learn insect-rearing 
methods and techniques for sampling 
insect population. This training pro- 
vided the background necessary to 
participate in several special research 
problems under the supervision of Drs. 
P. T. M. Lum and R. T. Arbogast. 

An honor high school graduate with 
an exceptional musical talent and an 
avid interest in biology, Daniel has 



USDA Summer Aids Held 
A Variety of Jobs 

Clerk-typist, research horticulturist, 
library aide, accounting assistant, sur- 
vey rodman — these were but a few of 
the jobs handled by high school and 
college-age students employed during 
the past summer at USDA. 

The students, from ages 16 to 21, were 
participants in the Government-wide 
Summer Aid Program. Almost 3,000 
young people worked in USDA offices, 
laboratories, and other sites across the 
Nation. Some 500 were located in the 
Washington, D.C., area. 

Summer jobs at USDA introduces 
many young people to the world of work 
and awakens their interests in new 
fields. The jobs encourage them to con- 
tinue their education, and provides them 
with some of the money needed to go to 
school in the fall or to follow goals they 
have set for themselves. 



Haunting Statistics 

Are small towns becoming ghost 
towns? No. In fact, many of them are 
growing faster than the national rate 
in terms of population, according to the 
Economic Research Service. 

Nearly three-fourths of the nonmetro- 
politan communities with 2,500 to 
25,000 people in 1950 racked up gains by 
1960. Their overall rate of population 
growth was 21 percent, higher than the 
Nation's rate. 

Towns with 2,500 to 5,000 residents 
grew by 18 percent on the average, 
equal to the national rate. 

Only in towns with less than 500 resi- 
dents were population losses more com- 
mon than population gains. Roughly 
three-fifths of those places saw their 
numbers dwindle during 1950-60. Even 
so, they registered a small aggregate 
growth because the gainers gained more 
people than the losers lost. 



Hungarians Study U.S. Farming 

A seven-member delegation of Hun- 
garian agricultural experts, led by Dep- 
uty Minister of Agricultural Istvan 
Gergely, recently spent a month in the 
United States to observe U.S. agricul- 
tural methods. 

After meeting with Assistant Secre- 
tary Clarence Pahnhy and other Gov- 
ernment officials, the Hungarian group 
visited eight States. 

chosen to make science his vocation and 
music an avocation. He entered Hamp- 
ton Institute in Hampton, Va., as a 
biology major. 



White House Conference 
To Study Nutrition Needs 

The White House Conference on 
Food, Nutrition, and Health, called by 
the President, will take a hard look at 
the nutritional needs of the American 
people. The Conference will take a spe- 
cial look at hunger and malnutrition 
among the poor. 

More than 2.500 of the Nation's lead- 
ing food and nutrition experts, as well 
as other Americans, will be invited to 
the Conference in Washington, D.C., 
Dec. 2-4. Educators, scientists, medical 
and health professionals, representatives 
of agriculture and the food industry, and 
spokesmen for consumer and social ac- 
tion groups will join Federal, State, and 
local government officials at the meet- 
ing. 

In advance of the Conference, these 
experts have begun work as members of 
panels on food and nutrition studies. 
The panels will report their recommen- 
dations to the full Conference in De- 
cember. 



Students vs Experts 

On Nov. 3. college students from 
around the Nation will match wits with 
experts from industry and Government. 
The meeting of the groups will differ 
greatly from some of the more recent 
campus confrontations. This event is 
the Collegiate Dairy Products Evalua- 
tion Contest in New Orleans. La. 

The students, most of whom carry 
majors in dairy and food science fields, 
and the experts will judge samples of 
five dairy products — butter, Cheddar 
cheese, ice cream, cottage cheese, and 
milk. The students who come closest to 
matching the decisions of the experts 
are declared winners. 

In addition to individual prizes, team 
awards are granted, usually in the form 
of fellowships to colleges represented by 
the winning teams. 

The annual affair, first held in 1916, 
is sponsored by the American Dairy Sci- 
ence Association and the Dairy and 
Food Industries Supply Association. Its 
aim is to attract promising college stu- 
dents to careers in the dairy and food 
industries. 

Contest rules provide for supervision 
by the Department of Agriculture. Cur- 
rently, the contest superintendent is 
Harold E. Meister, Deputy Director of 
the Dairy Division, Consumer and Mar- 
keting Service. 

USDA has recognized the value of the 
contest as a means of improving the 
quality of dairy products and of main- 
taining a close liaison with agricultural 
colleges. 




FOUR PARTICIPANTS In the 
home improvement work- 
shop held in Washington, 
D.C., construct a smokeless 
mud stove. While this is a 
crude piece of equipment 
by most standards, in many 
developing countries, the 
stove is indeed a home 
improvement. 



HOW TO MAKE HOME IMPROVEMENTS 



How would you like a refrigerator 
with an inside temperature only 10 de- 
grees cooler than the temperature in 
your house? 

The average American housewife 
would say "no thanks". But to home- 
makers in many developing countries, 
who have no refrigeration — and prob- 
ably no electricity — such a device would 
be a marvelous thing. 

It's really quite simple to make one — 
you construct a frame from scrap lum- 
ber, put in a couple of shelves, and cover 
the whole thing with burlap, leaving the 
ends of the cloth long enough to dangle 
into pans of water. The burlap, acting as 
a wick, soon becomes wet all over. Evap- 
oration causes the interior temperature 
of the "refrigerator" to drop several 
degrees. 

On the grounds of the National 4-H 
Center in Washington, D.C., 17 women 
from 12 countries recently spent 3 weeks 
learning to make this and many other 
home improvement items. 

The course was planned and con- 
ducted by the Federal Extension Service 
in cooperation with the Foreign Agricul- 
tural Service. It was financed by five 
other Government agencies and private 
organizations who sponsored the par- 
ticipants. 

Most of the women were in this coun- 
try to study home economics and related 
fields at U.S. colleges and universities. 
Their experiences in Washington were 
designed to help them adapt this aca- 
demic information to conditions in their 
home countries, where each is employed 
in a position related to programs for 
improving family living. 

In most of the countries, women of 
their class are not accustomed to work- 
ing with their hands in this way. But in 
their enthusiasm to learn, this was a 
forgotten matter. 

Their unfamiliarity with tools was ap- 
parent. Mrs. Jessie Taylor, the instruc- 
tor, rushed to the aid of one partiripant 



who was busily sawing a board with a 
hacksaw. But most had listened care- 
fully to classroom instruction and pro- 
ceeded, if not skillfully, at least with the 
proper tools. 

Mrs. Taylor understood the women's 
problems well. After working as a county 
Extension home agent in Arkansas for 
18 years, she was a home economics ad- 
viser with the Agency for International 
Development in Nepal, Pakistan, and 
Nigeria for 10 years. 

A participant from India, with the 
help of a woman from The Netherlands, 
had a struggle but finally succeeded in 
splitting a large sheet of asbestos for 
the oven they were building. The large 
wooden box, lined with the asbestos for 
heat retention and then with sheet 
metal for reflection, was designed for 
use with any kind of traditional heat 
source, such as charcoal or kerosene. 

Two other participants constructed a 
dishwashing table — a wooden frame 
fitted with closely spaced dowels on 
which to place the dishes for draining. 
The builders observed that in their 
country, bamboo would take the place of 
the wooden dowels. 

After classroom training in giving 
demonstrations and in making and 
using visual aids, each woman prepared 
and presented a demonstration appro- 
priate to the needs of her country. 

Mrs. Sarojani K. Dastur of India, for 
example, demonstrated the use of a 
high-protein multipurpose food (MPF) 
developed by Indian researchers as a 
diet supplement. 

Not all of the problems of their coun- 
tries can be solved by 17 women; but the 
training course helped them adapt their 
U.S. college coursework to the situation 
back home. They will be doing their best 
to bring their countries higher standards 
of health, nutrition, and home manage- 
ment. 



3 



IF YOU MUST TALK 
USE A SLIDE SET 

People who want to plan a new 
kitchen, bathroom, or family workroom, 
buy a house, or have other interests in 
house construction will be interested in 
knowing about a series of color slide sets 
and filmstrips the Department of Agri- 
culture has available. 

The presentations, which were pro- 
duced by the Federal Extension Serv- 
ice, can be bought as a group or singly, 
and each comes with two copies of a 
narrative guide. 

The slide sets can be purchased from 
Photography Division, Office of Infor- 
mation, U.S. Department of Agricul- 
ture, Washington, D.C. 20250, for $8 
each. Order filmstrips from Photo Lab, 
Inc., 3825 Georgia Avenue NW., Wash- 
ington, D.C. 20011. The exception to 
these prices is "HEATING AND COOL- 
ING YOUR HOME," which costs $9 as 
a slide set and $6.50 as a filmstrip. 

Here's what the shows are about: 

HOME KITCHENS, 47 frames, tells 
how kitchens can be planned for attrac- 
tiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. 

PLANNING THE FAMILY WORK- 
ROOM, 43 frames, gives the results of 
tests made with different homemakers 
and puts the information to work as a 
challenge to the home which has sev- 
eral living areas but little working space 
for ironing, sewing, and other house- 
work. 




USDA SLIDE SETS and Filmstrips tell how to make a house a home. 



FOUNDATIONS FOR YOUR HOME, 
33 frames, is intended to familiarize 
prospective homeowners and builders 
with the importance of adequate foun- 
dations in light house construction. 

WINDSTORM RESISTANT CON- 
STRUCTION FOR YOUR HOME, 45 
frames, shows how damage from high 
winds of cyclones, hurricanes, or tor- 
nadoes can be minimized by improved 
construction methods. 

INTERIOR BUILDING MATERIALS 
FOR YOUR HOME, 42 frames, dis- 
cusses a wide variety of materials along 
with some features of installation, 
design, and cost that will interest home- 
owners and builders. 



Sourdough Horizons Expand 



The long wait may be nearly over for 
lovers of sourdough French bread. Bi- 
ologist L. Kline and microbiologist T. F. 
Sugihara, both with the Agricultural 
Research Service's Western utilization 
research laboratory, Albany, Calif., are 
"zeroing in" on just what it is that gives 
the bread its unique character. 

Countless attempts have been made to 
bake the popular bread in parts of the 
world other than in the San Francisco 
Bay area. But for more than 100 years, 
this location has been the only place the 
"real McCoy" was made. In fact, the 
bread is so popular with San Francisco 
visitors, many rate it ahead of the 
Golden Gate Bridge as a tourist attrac- 
tion. 

According to the researchers, it is 
more than how the San Francisco bak- 
ers handle the dough that makes sour- 



dough unique. Two types of microor- 
ganisms appear to be responsible for 
sourdough — and they both hold sur- 
prises for microbiologists. 

Yeast ordinarily used to cause breads 
to rise cannot tolerate acetic acid. Sour- 
dough bread is highly acidic, however, 
and at least half of the acid is acetic 
acid. But sourdough yeasts live under 
these conditions. 

Even more unusual than the yeast are 
the acid-producing bacteria. They ap- 
pear to have a combination of special 
nutritional and environmental require- 
ments for growth and do not seem to 
fit into any known taxonomic group. 

If ARS research is successful, the 
tasty sourdough French bread could be- 
come available anywhere bakers want 
to produce it. And the Golden Gate 
Bridge can reclaim its preeminence. 



WIRING FOR YOUR HOME, 42 
frames, acquaints present and future 
homemakers with a fundamental knowl- 
edge of electricity as it pertains to 
normal household use, stressing ade- 
quate wiring, fusing, and circuits. 

A GOOD HOUSE FOR ALL WHO 
CARE, 49 frames, stresses three major 
considerations in housing: The family's 
physical housing needs, economic fac- 
tors, and esthetics of housing. 

HEATING AND COOLING YOUR 
HOME, 52 frames, familiarizes prospec- 
tive homeowners and builders with types 
of heating and cooling systems available 
and some advantages and disadvantages 
of each. 

EXTERIOR BUILDING MATERIALS 
FOR YOUR HOME, 43 frames, helps 
you choose the right siding for your 
home to give it protection, charm, and 
other qualities, according to your neigh- 
borhood and pocketbook. 

A GOOD BATHROOM FOR YOUR 
HOME, 46 frames, gives good ideas 
about planning bathrooms, including 
layouts, design, and equipment. 



CO-OP MONTH 
OCTOBER- 1969 




PROGRESS THROUC3H PEOPLE 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

OCTOBER 23, 1969 Vol, XXVIII No. 22 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43— 365-569 U.S. covernment printing office 






»r.:.-*^ 



H^^\oNM 



J(\Hl 



1970 




E!WPiOYEF NFwqi FTTFR 




VOL XXVIII NO. 23 
X^|irf,T^^F_ NOVEMBER 6, 1969 



Civil Rights Training Program Initiated 



Secretary Hardin recently assembled 
USDA agency administrators and their 
deputies to initiate his civil rights train- 
ing program. It was the first time in 
memory that agency heads and their 
deputies met together for an entire day 
to focus on one topic. 

The Secretary outlined iiis civil rights 
policy during this first in a series of 
civil rights training sessions to be held 
throughout the Department. Those as- 
sembled participated in a question-and- 
answer period and heard talks by 
Howard University Professor Emeritus 
Rayford W. Logan on "Discrimination — 
Causes and Effect," and by Clemont E. 
Vontress of George Washington Uni- 
versity on "Understanding and Com- 
municating with Minority Groups." 

Several USDA officials, Dr. Logan, Dr. 
Vontress, C. E. Bishop of the University 
of North Carolina, and E. W. Owens of 
the University of Minnesota were panel 
members for a discussion on "Action 
Programs in Civil Rights for USDA." 
Assistant Secretary for Administration 
Joseph M. Robertson summarized the 
day's program. 



New Pesticide Research Tool 

At the Forest Service Pacific South- 
west Forest and Range Experiment Sta- 
tion, Berkeley, Calif., research entomolo- 
gist Dick Roberts and biologist Marion 
Page have developed a 3-D picture tech- 
nique to aid in insecticide research. 

Their technique, combining a laser 
and a camera system, is part of a project 
to develop new, non-persistent insecti- 
cides and safer methods of application. 
Using laser holography the researchers 
can measure tiny spray drops as they 
fall, size them in a 3 -dimensional man- 
ner, and study their rate of descent, 
impingement on the insect, and even- 
tual evaporation. 

"The technique has opened up a whole 
new world to us; we can now watch 
activities we could only guess at before," 
Robert says. 

He added that this information also 
is vital in designing selective insecticides 
that are toxic to one insect and not to 
others or to the ecology in general. 



SECRETARY HARDIN 
(standing) opens his civil 
rights training program for 
USDA agency administra- 
tors and their deputies and 
points out that President 
Nixon's equal oppoitunjty 
policy will be carried out in 
all USDA programs and 
activities. 






SOS/70: An international Signature 



More than 3,000 food scientists and 
technologists from 50 countries will meet 
in Washington, D.C., during August 
1970 to tackle the problem of making 
new and better foods available now and 
for generations ahead. 

These experts attending the Third In- 
ternational Congress of Food Science 
and Technology will seek to speed efforts 
to solve world food needs by creating 
nutritious and acceptable additions to 
the traditional families of foodstuffs. 

"Science of Survival" is the theme of 
the Congress, which has adopted "SOS/ 
70" as the "signature" of the meeting. 

The Congress is co-sponsored by the 
Department of Agriculture, the Inter- 
national Committee of Food Science and 
Technology, and the Institute of Food 
Technologists, the host organization for 
the conference. It is supported by con- 
tributions from American industry, 
foundations, and interested Crovernment 
agencies. 

In announcing the conference, Secre- 
tary Hardin said, "Much of the addi- 
tional food supply required to solve our 
needs for the future must come from 
the innovative effort of those in the 
relatively new field of food science and 
technology." 

He added that it is a hopeful sign 
that men and women who have devel- 
oped this new field of applied science 
are seeking to unify the efforts of gov- 
ernment, industry, and the academic 
area, and to involve those from lesser 



developed nations who can make im- 
portant contributions to the expansion 
of food resources. 

The international conference will 
complement a scheduled White House 
Conference on Food, Nutrition, and 
Health planned in December. The White 
House Conference will be concerned with 
immediate domestic food needs and Crov- 
ernment policies. The International Con- 
gress will be concerned with worldwide 
research and development in food and 
nutrition. 

Previous meetings of the world science 
groups were held in London in 1962 and 
in Warsaw in 1966. 



ARS Dedicates New 
Research Laboratory 

Dr. George W. Irving, Jr., Administra- 
tor of the Agricultural Research Service, 
recently participated in the dedication 
of a new ARS Poultry Research Labora- 
tory at Georgetown, Del. 

The $500,000 facihty will be used to 
conduct research cooperatively between 
ARS and the Delaware Agricultural Ex- 
periment Station. Research will center 
on poultry and poultry products, with 
special attention given to factors affect- 
ing poultry meat and eggshell qualiiy. 

The facility, authorized by Congress 
in 1966, consists of an office-laboratory 
and two poultry houses. When fully 
staffed, there will be five ARS scientists 
and supporting personnel. 





TRAINEES AT THE WORLD CENSUS TRAINING CENTER work on a problem under the supervision 
of Floyd O'Quinn, Ed Lippert, and Emerson Brooks (left to right, standing). The trainees represent 
eight world regions. They are: (left to right, seated) Jan Stelmach, Poland; Eric Straughn. West Indies; 
Mansour Duhbidan, Saudi Arabia; Hyeong Ho Park, Korea; Mrs. Layra Aslanian, Brazil; Abdus Hanafee, 
Pakistan; Miss Gulden GiJder, Turkey; and L. C. Chibwe, Zambia. 

"The National Arboretum" 
Is A Prizewinner 

USDA's Motion Picture Service re- 
cently received an award for a motion 
picture of a beautiful garden in the heart 
of Washington, D.C. 

In nationwide competition, "The Na- 
tional Arboretum" — both the title of the 
movie and the name of the garden — 
won a Chris Certificate Award at the 
17th Annual Columbus Film Festival, 
Columbus, Ohio. 

The film was produced by the Motion 
Picture Service for the Agricultural Re- 
search Service, which administers the 
National Arboretum. 

The color film compresses the four 
seasons into a 13 -minute tour of the 
400 -acre Arboretum where, in natural 
settings, trees, shrubs, and flowers col- 
lected from around the world grow 
alongside hybrids produced by ARS sci- 
entists. 

Scenes in the film include hillsides 
covered with more than 70,000 azaleas, 
all in bloom; the prized Gotelli collection 
of low- growing evergreens; and Fern 
Valley wearing colors of the four sea- 
sons. 

In other scenes viewers look into the 
heart of a flower and watch a scientist 
create a new ornamental. 

One sequence, filmed in the Far East, 
shows a USDA scientist collecting 
plants for developing new ornamentals. 

Copies of the 16mm. film may be pur- 
chased from the Motion Picture Serv- 
ice, Office of Information, USDA, Wash- 
ington, D.C. 20250. The cost is $67. 
Prints may also be obtained on loan from 
State film libraries. 



A FLOWERING CRABAPPLE TREE, one of the 
thousands of blossoming plants at the National 
Arboretum, attracts a visitor in a scene from 
the prizewinning film entitled — naturally — "The 
National Arboretum." 



Health Benefits Open Season 
Scheduled For November 

Ronicmber — open season for the 
Federal Health Benefits Program 
has been selieihiled for November 
10-28, 1969. 

During this period eligible em- 
ployees who are not enrolled in a 
healtli benefits plan will be permit- 
ted to enroll. Employees and annui- 
tants who are already enrolled may 
change to another plan or option. 

Detailed information on the open 
season is being sent to all eligible 
employees and annuitants. If this 
material is not received by employ- 
ees by November 10, they shoidd 
contact their administrative officer. 

Annuitants who do not receive the 
materials by November 15, should 
contact the Bureau of Retirement, 
Civil Service Commission, Washing- 
ton, D.C. 20451 



USDA HELPS TRAIN 
WORLD CENSUS LEADERS 

At a special Training Center located 
at USDA in Washington, D.C, 34 agri- 
cultural economists and statisticians 
from 24 countries recently began a year- 
long study program in preparation for 
an enormous task— the upcoming World 
Agricultural Census. 

Sponsored by the United Nation's 
Food and Agriculture Organization, the 
Census will compile data from farm 
surveys conducted by more than 100 
nations. The data from these surveys, 
such as the U.S. Census of Agriculture 
scheduled for January 1970, is vitally 
needed for the fight against hunger. 

When the experts studying at USDA 
complete their training and return home 
next year, they will set up training pro- 
grams and help conduct census surveys 
in their own countries. 

Tlie Training Center, a joint effort 
of USDA, the Census Bureau, and the 
Agency for International Development, 
is directed by Floyd O'Quinn of the Cen- 
sus Bureau. He is assisted by Ed Lippert 
of USDA's Statistical Reporting Service. 
Emerson Brooks, also of SRS, serves as 
USDA liaison with the Center. 

The current group of trainees bring 
the number of participants in the train- 
ing program to 135 people from 56 
countries. 

Training at the Center is challenging: 
All courses are on the graduate level. 

For the first 9 months, participants 
take 17 courses in census methods, sta- 
tistics and economics, and data process- 
ing. Instructors are from SRS, the Cen- 
sus Bureau, other Federal agencies, and 
area universities. 

When the courses are over in May, 
participants spend 6 weeks studying 
plans for a census in the mythical na- 
tion of Agrostan. Complete with its own 
geography, agriculture, and population, 
Agrostan is designed to present the cen- 
sus planners with many of the conditions 
they will encounter in their home coun- 
tries. USDA specialists head panel dis- 
cussion for this workshop. 

The last month of the program is 
spent in the field. Participants visit a 
farm community to conduct a practice 
farm census which they design them- . 
selves. Local USDA offices and Land 
Grant colleges lend a hand. Last year's 
site was Berks County, Pa. 



HAILSTORMS cause an average of 
S284 million in crop damage annually in 
this country, according to tlie Economic 
Research Service. Hardest hit regions in 
terms of dollar losses are the Northern 
Plains and Corn Belt with large acreages 
of wheat, corn and soybeans. States suffer- 
ing greatest dollar drain from hail are 
North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, 
and Minnesota. 



NAL Moves Into 
New Building 

The National Agricultural Library re- 
cently completed the move into its new 
building on the grounds of the Agricul- 
tural Research Center, Beltsville, Md. 
The Library was formerly located in the 
USDA office building at 14th and Inde- 
pendence Ave., Washington, D.C. 

A 15-story tower of pre-cast concrete 
and rock-faced brick, houses the NAL's 
collection of L3 million volumes on agri- 
culture and supporting sciences — botany, 
chemistry, animal industry, veterinary 
medicine, biology, agricultural engineer- 
ing, rural sociology, forestry, entomology. 
law, food and nutrition, soils and fertiliz- 
ers as well as marketing, transporta- 
tion and other economic aspects of 
agriculture. 

Bookstacks are located in the tower 
building from the fifth through the 
thirteenth floor. A vertical book conveyor 
permits rapid delivery of books from the 
shelf to the scientist. 

An adjoining two-story wing provides 
space for technical personnel to develop 
scientific management of literature re- 
sources and to expand specialized serv- 
ices to research people. 

Free interlibrary loan service is pro- 
vided to any library in the United States 
and photoduplication services make 
available at cost any material in the col- 
lection. A teletypewriter with answer- 
back code has been installed to improve 
services to out-of-town patrons. 



SCSA Elects USDA'ers 

Three USDA employees were named 
officers in the Soil Conservation Society 
of America at the Society's recent annual 
meeting in Ft. Collins, Colo. 

Robert W. Eikleberry, Lincoln, Nebr., 
soil coorelator for the Midwest for the 
Soil Conservation Service, was named 
president of the 13,000-member Society. 

J. R. Johnston was elected as vice 
president and Emer L. Roget was elected 
president-elect, a preparatory position 
to the 1971 presidency. Johnston is chief 
of the Agricultural Research Service's 
Southwest Great Plains Research Sta- 
tion, Bushland, Tex. Roget is Arkansas 
SCS State Conservationist. 

In addition, several USDA employees 
were named Fellows of the Soil Conser- 
vation Society of America, the highest 
award the SCSA confers on its members. 
These include: Kenneth E. Grant, Wash- 
ington, D.C, SCS Administrator; Chester 
E. Evans, Ft. Collins, Colo., chief of the 
ARS Northern Plains Branch, Soil and 
Water Research Division; Cecil H. Wad- 
leigh, Beltsville, Md., director of ARS 



A TOWER OF BOOKS, the 
new home of the National 
Agricultural Library, is re- 
flected in a pool on the 
grounds of the Agricultural 
Research Service, Beltsville, 
Md. The NAL, the largest 
agricultural library in the 
world, houses 1.3 million 
volumes and offers a variety 
of services to support the 
diversified interests of USDA 
employees and the agricul- 
tural-biological community. 






MRS. RICHARD M. NIXON joins Secretary and Mrs. Hardin and Congressman Roger H. Zion of 
Indiana in admiring Indiana handcrafts on display at the October Co-op Month Crafts Exhibit held in 
the Patio of the USDA Administration Building, Washington, D.C. The First Lady, who was guest of 
honor at opening ceremonies for the month-long exhibit, toured the displays and watched craftsmen 
demonstrate their skills. A quilt, especially designed and made by three sisters from eastern Kentucky, 
was presented to Mrs. Nixon. Thousands of people visited the exhibit which featured craftsmen and 
crafts from 32 States. 



Soil and Water Conservation Research 
Division; Douglas Craig, Atlanta, Ga., 
director of the Southeastern area of 
State and Private Forestry, Forest Serv- 
ice; Leslie B. Sachow, Fargo, N.D., ACP 
specialist with the Agricultural Stabiliza- 
tion and Conservation Service; William 
W. Russell, Wisconsin SCS State Con- 



servationist; Lyall H. Mitchell, Fairfield. 
Iowa, retired SCS area conservationist; 
Avard B. Linford, Montana SCS State 
Conservationist; Edtvard R. Keil, Mary- 
land SCS State Conservationist; Harold 
W. Cooper. Wyoming SCS State Conser- 
vationist; and J. R. Johnston, SCSA vice 
president-elect. 



3 



Moon Rock Is No 
Insecticide 

Earthly insects apparently suffer no 
ill effects from eating moon dust — not 
even indigestion. 

This opinion is based on the results of 
preliminary tests conducted by Agricul- 
tural Research Service scientists at the 
Lunar Receiving Laboratory, Houston, 
Tex., and at ARS laboratories, Beltsville, 
Md. The scientists, entomologist Clarence 
A. Benschoter and insect pathologist 
Dr. Arthur M. Heimpel, examined colo- 
nies of cockroaches, hoiose flies, and 
greater wax moths that were fed portions 
of lunar rock brought back to earth by 
the Apollo 11 astronauts. 

The scientists found no evidence of 
adverse effects on the insects' behavior, 
appearance, internal organs, or cellular 
tissue. Neither were there any indications 
of infection by biological organisms that 
might have been found on the moon. 

Tests are continuing with colonies of 
insects to confirm the preliminary re- 
sults. Similar tests are planned for lunar 
samples obtained from other parts of the 
moon in future space explorations. 




BERNICE McGEARY (second from right), nutritionist with the Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, 
Md., demonstrates how recipes using foods distributed through the Consumer and Marketing Service's 
Commodity Foods Program are tested. Her audience is four Japanese food editors and their interpreter. 
The editors, who represent newspapers with a combined readership of 12 million, recently visited 
USDA offices and facilities in Washington, D.C., and other areas during a 3-week tour of the U.S. 
The trip was sponsored by food industry associations in cooperation with the Foreign Agricultural 
Service. 



ACHIEVEMENTS 



DR. HELEN .S.WITSKY, AR.S Crops 
Research Division, Salinas, Calif., recently 
received a special award of merit from 
the siijrar industry and the sujjarbeet grow- 
ers of The Netherlands. 

The award recognized contributions to 
sugarbeet production made by Dr. Savit- 
sky and her late husband. Dr. V. F. -Sa- 
vitskv. 



A. W. COOPER, Director of the AR.S 
National Tillage Machinery Laboratory, 
Auburn, .-Via., recently was awarded the 
1969 John Deere Gold Medal by the Amer- 
ican Society of .Agricidtural Engineers for 
his contributions in the application of 
science and art to the soil. 

The ASAE also elected J. M. LEVEN. 
East Lansing, Mich., and E. BUFORD 
WILLIAMSON, Stoneville, Miss., both 
members of .ARS' Agricultural Engineer- 
ing Research Division, as ASAE Fellows. 



DR. CLAIR E. TERRILL, Animal Hus- 
bandry Research Division of ARS, Belts- 
ville, Md., was recently elected an Honor- 
ary Fellow of the .American Society of 
Animal Science. Dr. Terrill is chief of 
the -Sheep and Fur Animal Research 
Branch, a position he has held since 1955. 



Recently two ARS scientists were hon- 
ored by the Poultry Science Association. 
DR. HENRY L. MARKS, research gene- 



ticist and coordinator of the Southern Re- 
gional Poultry Breeding Proje<'l at .Athens, 
Ca., recei\ed tlie .Association's Research 
.Award. This .SoOO award is given to a 
mendier of the .Association who, in the 
pre<'eding year, has publisiied outstanding 
research papers. The recipient must be 
less than 40 years of age. 

PAUL A. ZUMBRO, assistant chief of 
the Poultry Research Branch, .Animal Hus- 
bandry Research Division, was elected a 
Fellow of the Poultry Science .Association. 
Ziimbro, who has been with USDA since 
1935, was cited for his "tremendous in- 
fluence in upgrading and improving tlie 
quality of chicks and poults produced in 
the United States . . ." 



L. J. KUSHMAN, Raleigh, N.C., leader 
of ARS Root Crop and Small Fruit Inves- 
tigations, recently received the National 
Canners .Association .Award in Raw Prod- 
ucts Research. The award was presented 
at the .American Society for Horticulture 
Science meeting in Pullman, Wash. 



J. W. DICKENS, ARS Market Quality 
Research Division leader, Virginia-Caro- 
lina Field Crops Quality Investigations, 
Raleigh, N.C., has been recently elected 
president-elect of the .American Peanut 
Research and Education .Association. 

CHARLES HOLADAY, ARS Market 
Quality Research Division leader. Peanut 
Quality Investigations, Dawson, Ga., was 
appointed chairman of the .Association's 
Quality Committee. 



DR. HERBERT J. DUTTON, ARS 
.Northern Utilization Laboratory, Peoria, 
111., was named recipient of the 1969 
.American Oil Chemists Society .Award in 
Lipid Chemistry. The award, which carries 
a .S2,500 honorarium, was presented for 
outstanding achievements. Dr. Dutton is 
in charge of investigations on chemical 
and physical properties of oilseeds at the 
Peoria laboratory. 



An official of the Consumer and Mar- 
keting Service, DR. H. M. STEINMETZ, 
has been elected vice-president of the 
World Association of Veterinary Food- 
Hygenics. 

His election for a 4-year term came at 
the -Association's 5th International Sym- 
posium in Opatija, Yugoslavia, in Septem- 
ber. More than 360 participants from 36 
countries attended the symposium to ex- 
change information and results of re- 
search on hygiene of meat, poultry, and 
dairy products. 

Dr. Steinmetz, who is .Assistant Deputy 
.Administrator for Consumer Protection, 
C&MS, also became a member of the 
seven-man executive board with repre- 
sentatives of Germany, Denmark, The 
Netherlands, Switzerland, and New Zea- 
land. 

DR. D. E. ZINTER, veterinary para- 
sitologist with C&MS, spoke at the sym- 
posium. DR. CLARENCE H. PALS, now 
retired from his post of meat inspection 
director with C&MS, was the U.S. dele- 
gate to the meeting. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

NOVEMBER 6, 1969 Vol, XXVIIl No. 23 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43 — 16—80657-1 



U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



I . ^ / 






*^^. ^ 



U.S. DEFT. OF AGRICULTURE 

:;:TiCr:.u asrigulturai vzi:o:i 





,^-^-^^_,^^^^,- ; VOL XXVIII NO. 25 

^.t5IJ*X.W<iI2r^ DECEMBER 4, 1969 



EIVIPI OYFP IVFW.qi FTTFR 




Major Changes Made 
In Retirement System 

Recently enacted amendments to the 
Civil Service Retirement Law make some 
significant changes in the Federal retire- 
ment system. Among other things, the 
amendments, signed by President Nixon 
on Oct. 20, 1969, improve the financing 
of the retirement system and liberalize 
eligibility for and amount of benefits. 

Major changes include: 

1. Employee and agency retirement 
contributions will increase from 6I2 
to 7 percent of the basic pay for each 
employee imder the retirement sys- 
tem. For USDA employees, this in- 
crease begins the pay period start- 
ing Jan. 11, 1970. 

2. Retirement annuities will be com- 
puted on the basis of the "high-3" 
average salary rather than the 
"high-5" average salary. 

3. Sick leave accumulated at the time 
of retirement will be used in com- 
puting the annuity. However, the 
days of unused sick leave thus 
added are used only in counting the 
number of years and months of serv- 
ice for annuity computations; they 
cannot be credited for retirement 
eligibility or for computing the em- 
ployee's high-3 average salary. 

4. If an employee dies after at least 
18 months of creditable civilian serv- 
ice, the widow, dependent widower, 
and or children are now entitled to 
survivor annuity. Formerly, the 
minimum service requirement was 5 
years. All other eligibility require- 
ments remain the same. The amend- 
ments also provide for increases in 
survivor annuities in the various 
categories. 

5. Formerly, the survivor annuity of 
a widow terminated upon remar- 
riage. The new law permits continu- 
ance of the annuity, regardless of 
when the employee retired or died, 
if the widow remarries after attain- 
ing age 60 and the remarriage oc- 
curred on or after July 18. 1966. 




A HIGHLIGHT OF 4-H WEEK (Oct. 5-11) for a group of 1969 4-H Reporters-to-the-Nation was 
presenting Secretary Hardin with a copy of "The President's Book," a pictorial report of 4-H aims 
and achievements. The Secretary accompanied the 4-H'ers to the White House where a specially 
engraved volume of the Report was presented to Mrs. Richard M. Nixon for the President on behalf 
of the 3V2 million 4-H'ers in 50 States. Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands. Guam, and the District of 
Columbia. During National 4-H Congress in Chicago, Nov. 3-Dec. 4, a new "crop" of Rep>orters-to- 
the-Nation will be chosen from among the 1,650 Congress delegates. The young men and women, 
up to 12 in number, will serve in 1970 to report on 4— H and explain new trends and developments 
to national organizations and to the public. Like those pictured here, they will represent a variety 
of educational experiences in 4— H work, background, and geographic locations. 



Where such a remarriage has al- 
ready occurred and the annuity has 
been terminated, it will be resumed 
commencing Oct. 20, 1969. 

6. Cost-of-living increases in annuities 
are still figured as before — the per- 
centage of increase is equivalent to 
the percentage rise in the cost of 
living as determined by the Con- 
sumer Price Index. However, the 
1969 amendments add 1 percent to 
whatever percentage of increase is 
developed in the future by the CPI. 
For example, if a 3 percent increase 
is developed by the CPI, annuities 
would increase 4 percent. 



THE N.\TION"S farm labor force esti- 
mated at 5.150.000 during October. 
That's down S*/.- from a year ago. Farm 
operators and family workers totaled 
3.825.000, tlown S^V: liired workers, 
1.325,000, down 4'7r frtini a \ear ago. 



PLANT PEST CONTROL 
BY ANOTHER NAME 

Organizational changes in plant pest 
control programs were announced by Dr. 
George W. Irving, Jr., Administrator of 
the Agricultural Research Service. 

All ARS plant pest control operations 
will be conducted by the Plant Protec- 
tion Division, formerly the Plant Pest 
Control Division. Donald R. Shepherd 
continues as director of the newly named 
Division. 

Dr. Irving says this reorganization will 
permit more efficient use of Division per- 
sonnel and more effective coordination 
of work aimed at safeguarding environ- 
mental quality. 

The new name, he says, more properly 
describes the Division's overall responsi- 
bilities. It emphasizes the positive aspects 
of protecting American agriculture from 
plant pests rather than controlling and 
eradicating these pests after infestation 
and destruction have occurred. 



CRITERIA ADOPTED 
FOR NATIONAL TRAILS 

Criteria to establish trails under the 
National Trails System were announced 
recently by Secretary Hardin and Secre- 
tary of the Interior Walter J. Hickel. 

Basic procedures for setting up these 
trails were spelled out in Public Law 
90-543, approved Oct. 1968. In that Act, 
Congress designated the Appalachian 
Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail as the 
first components of the new National 
Trails System. 

The Pacific Crest Trail is administered 
by the Forest Service and the Appalach- 
ian Trail by the National Park Service of 
the Department of the Interior. Fourteen 
other trail routes were designated by 
Congress for study and possible future 
inclusion in the system. 

The nationwide system will consist of 
two general trail classifications : National 
Scenic Trails and National Recreation 
Trails. 

National Scenic Trails, usually several 
hundred miles in length, are established 
by Congress. National Recreation Trails 
may be established by the Secretary of 
the Interior where lands administered 
by him are involved or by the Secretary 
of Agriculture with the consent of the 
Federal agency. State, or political sub- 
divisions having jurisdiction over these 
lands. Trails within park, forest, and 
other recreation areas administered by 
either Department may also be estab- 
lished by the appropriate Secretary. 

Criteria adopted by Interior and Agri- 
culture call for National Scenic Trails to 
have superior scenic, historical, natural 
or cultural qualities with maximum out- 
door recreation potential. The guidelines 
specify that these trails, as far as practi- 
cable, should avoid highways, transmis- 
sion lines, fences and other commercial 
or industrial developments; provide ade- 
quate public access; and follow principal 
historic routes. 

National Recreation Trails should pro- 
vide a variety of outdoor recreation uses 
to serve an urban area. The length of a 
trail may be short — perhaps a half 
mile — or long enough to have urban- 
rural characteristics, but it must be con- 
tinuous and available to large numbers 
of people. These trails may be designed 
solely for hikers, horsemen, or bicyclists, 
but, where practicable, should serve mul- 
tiple uses. 

The criteria for national scenic and 
recreation trails were developed by an 
interagency task force of USDA and 
Interior officials. Members included 
Richard F. Droege, Associate Deputy 
Chief, Forest Service, and Webb Ken- 
nedy, Assistant Director of Division of 
Engineering, Forest Service. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 

WASHINGTON. D.C. 20250 



OFFICE OF PERSONNCl- 



TO EACH EMPLOYEE: 



October 14, 1969 



A Department o£ Agriculture employee died today. In an 
accident. A job-related accident. 

How did it happen? It doesn't matter ... the details. 
The accident could have been prevented. What now? A 
report studied ... and filed. A name into a computer... 
a life lost. And that's that. What a shame. 

It takes work to stop accidents. Your work and my work. 
Think and act to prevent accidents ... to promote safety. 
It may take a second, but it's worth it. 



CARL B. BARNES 
Director of Personnel 



Unions Help Train Youths 
At FS Centers 

A 50-week training program con- 
ducted by the Brotherhood of Painters, 
Decorators, and Paperhangers, AFL- 
CIO, was recently opened to qualified 
Job Corpsmen at the Forest Service's 
Civilian Conservation Centers near Cot- 
tonwood, Idaho, Curlew, Wash., and 
Trapper Creek, Mont. 

With the addition of these three sites, 
the union now conducts classes at 14 
centers with average class enrollment 
of 12 to 15 youths. 

For the past several years, the Forest 
Service has made arrangements with 
unions to offer training courses in a con- 
tinuing effort to involve the private 
sector in assisting disadvantaged youth. 

The Brotherhood of Painters, Decora- 
tors, and Paperhangers is the third 
national union to provide such training 
services at Job Corps Centers adminis- 
tered by the Forest Service. 

At two centers the International 
Union of Operating Engineers conducts 
classes for a total of 80 Corpsmen. At 
six centers 270 Corpsmen are enrolled 
in courses conducted by the United 
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. 

The Forest Service has responsibility 
for 20 Job Corps Centers across the 
Nation. 




THOMAS P. QUIGLEY (left), reports manage- 
ment officer with the Agricultural Research 
Service, Washington, D.C, receives the Federal 
Paperwork Management Award from Harold A. 
Moulds, International President of the Associa- 
tion of Records Executives -and Administrators. 
Quigley was one of six Federal employees to 
receive top honors from the Association, mark- 
ing the fifth straight year a USDA employee has 
won this award. Quigley was honored for his 
work with ARS' Reports Management Program 
which has achieved savings of more than 
88,000 man-hours valued at more than 
$395,000 since its inception by Quigley. The 
program has significantly reduced the time gap 
between laboratory development and practical 
application of Federal research. 



DECEMBER PLENTIFUL FOODS— 

Broiler-fryers, fresh pears, apples, pota- 
toes, sweelpotatoes, canned peaches, 
canned pears, canned tomatoes and 
tomato products, dry beans, split peas, 
and lentils. 



2 



C&MS Employee Is 
Host With The Most 

Sheldon S. (Bud) Reese believes in 
going an extra mile to fulfill his duties. 

Reese who is Officer in Charge of the 
livestock market news office for the 
Consumer and Marketing Service in 
Sioux City. Iowa, was recently asked by 
his Washington, D.C., office to arrange 
for 2 or 3 days of demonstrations and 
training in market news for six Brazil- 
ian marketing officials. The six were in 
the United States for a 2-month study 
of agricultural marketing. 

Reese arranged for the men, most of 
whom could speak little or no English, 
to stay in local homes for a better op- 
portunity to get acquainted with the 
domestic and social side of Americans. 

Host families met the men at the air- 
port, took them to their homes, ar- 
ranged for them to reach a common 
meeting place each morning, came for 
them in the afternoon, and took them to 
the airport at the end of their stay in 
Sioux City. 

The Brazilians were made honorary 
citizens of Sioux City by a delegation 
from the Mayor's office and were treated 
to an American-style barbecue dinner 
and a high school football game. 

The objective of their training on the 
Sioux City market was equally as well 
arranged. On the first day, half of the 
Brazilians accompanied buyers; the 
other half went with sellers or commis- 
sion men. On the second day, the 
routine was reversed. The function and 
services of all agencies on the market 
were thoroughly explained and demon- 
strated including trips to packing 
houses and a television studio to see 
a market news information telecast. 

While the project was considerable 
work for Reese and his associates, Lance 
Hooks, C&MS technical leader of the 
Brazilian group, reported the visit was 
a complete success. The Brazilians en- 
joyed every minute of it. 



SCS GOES TO TOWN 

Detroit, Mich., the Nation's fifth 
largest city, is now part of a soil con- 
servation district. 

A working agreement recently signed 
with the newly formed Wayne Soil Con- 
servation District authorizes technical 
and financial aid for the district from 
USDA, State, and local sources. 

Wayne County, whose boundaries 
coincide with the new district, is one of 
the Nation's fastest growing areas. 
About 1,000 farms still operate in the 
area. But rapid urban growth has 
created complex erosion and flooding 
problems; a decrease in land used for 
agriculture: and an increase in idle land 
held for development. 



ARNOLD H. BEAN, retired 
SCS employee, and his wife 
watched the moon trip of 
their astronaut son, Alan 
Bean, on three television 
sets in the living room of 
their Fort Worth home. 




SCS RETIREE IS PROUD OF ASTRONAUT SON 



When Astronaut Alari Bean and Com- 
pany blasted off for the moon on No- 
vember 14, two people in Forth Worth, 
Tex., were watching on three color tele- 
vision sets. They were Alan's parents, 
Arnold H. Bean, a retired Soil Conser- 
vation Service employee, and his wife, 
Frances. 

And from take-off to splashdown, a 
host of Arnold's former SCS co-workers 
and dozens of Alan's schoolmates were 
watching, too. Fort Worth citizens are 
naturally proud of the hometown boy 
who was the fourth human to leave his 
footprints on the moon. 

Most watched on only one television 
set, but the Beans wanted to see all ac- 
counts and scenes carried by the three 
major networks. 

Alan, who was born in Wheeler, Tex., 
in 1932, was only 2 years old when his 
father went to work for the Soil Erosion 
Service as a soil scientist. He was only 
4 years old when Arnold transferred to 
the Fort Worth regional office in 1936. 

Bean soon transferred to river basin 
study teams and worked on several proj- 
ects in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. 
He was living in Temple, Tex., when he 
joined the Army in 1943. His family re- 
mained in Temple until his discharge 
in 1946, at which time he returned to 
Fort Worth. He served in the Engineer- 
ing and Watershed Planning Division 
until his transfer to similar work in 
Lincoln, Nebr., when the four SCS Re- 
gional Technical Service Centers were 
formed in 1964. 

Arnold retired at the end of 1965 after 
his wife had a major heart operation, 
and required his continuing care. They 
returned to their home in Fort Worth. 

"Alan was the apple of his father's 



eye," said Mrs. Catherine Hartman who 
was secretary to Bean when he moved 
to Fort Worth in 1936. 

"He was always popular aroimd the 
office," said Mrs. Margaret Mitchell who 
also served as Bean's secretary. 

Both ladies are still with the Fort 
Worth unit. Both watched Alan's devel- 
opment. And few could be more amazed 
that this youth is now slated to go down 
in history as one of the greatest ex- 
plorers of all time. 

He was a straight-A student when he 
wanted to be, his father said. He was 
making progress with his piano lessons, 
but preferred to join the boys in the 
neighborhood playing baseball or foot- 
ball. His sister, Mrs. Paula Peden of 
Fort Worth, maintains he could have 
been a good musician. 

Arnold and Frances Bean have known 
all of the astronauts and have a closet 
full of mementos to show for it, includ- 
ing medals carried into space by each 
of the manned flights. Their prized pos- 
session is the small model of the In- 
trepid which carried Alan and Pete Con- 
rad from the Yankee Clipper to the 
moon and back to the space ship again. 

Were they afraid of an accident on 
the trip to and from the moon? 

Arnold and Frances said they were 
not. Plans were too well made and the 
training was too thorough. But Frances 
added, "We were glad to know that 
friends were sweating the flight out with 
us." 

Alan is the second moon-walking 
astronaut with USDA connections. Neil 
Armstrong, the first astronaut to walk 
on the moon, is the son of ASCS retiree. 
Mrs. Viola Armstrong, of Wapakoneta. 
Ohio. 



Charting Agriculture 

The story of U.S. agriculture — from 
farm inputs to world trade — is told in 
charts and tables in a new USDA 
publication. 

The Handbook of Agricultural Charts, 
1969 has 158 charts, many with support- 
ing tables, depicting the general econ- 
omy, farm commodities, foreign agricul- 
tural trade, marketing, farm population, 
and family levels of living. 

This reference book for economists and 
agribusinessmen is the combined effort 
of four USDA agencies: Economic Re- 
search Service, Foreign Agricultural 
Service, Agricultural Research Service, 
and Statistical Reporting Service. 

Single copies of the Handbook of Agri- 
cultural Charts, 1969 are available free, 
on postcard request, from the Office of 
Information, USDA, Washington, D.C. 
20250. 

All of the charts are also available 
individually or in full series, in black and 
white photos or in color slides. Individual 
photos are $1.30 for an 8x10 print and 
$1.05 for a 5x7 print. Individual color 
slides are 30 cents each and sets of the 
entire 158 charts in color are $19. All 
may be ordered from the Photography 
Division, Office of Information, USDA, 
Washington, D.C. 20250. 



APPOINTMENTS 

D.ALE E. F.4RRINGER was recently 
appointed by Secretary Hardin to head 
an agiricultiiral economics group in South 
Vietnam. He rephices Edmund Farstad 
who returned to Washington, D.C, as 
director of USD.4 technical assistance 
programs in Asia. Both men work under 
programs sponsored by the .Agency for 
International Development. 

Farringer ■will lead the three-man 
group advising the Saigon Government 
and the Vietnam AID Mission in planning 
development of Vietnamese agriculture. 

Farringer has worked in the field of 
foreign agriculture since joining USDA in 
1941. He served in various posts of the 
Foreign Agricultural Service including 
agricultural attache to Uruguay. Most 
recently he was an area officer in FAS' 
agricultural attache service. 

DR. WILLIAM H. TALLENT was re- 
cently named chief of industrial crops 
research at the Agricultural Research 
Service's Northern Utilization Research 
Laboratory, Peoria, 111. He succeeds DR. 
IVAN A. WOLFF who became director of 
the Eastern Laboratory, Wyndmoor, Pa., 
in August. Dr. Tallent joined the 
Northern Laboratory in 1964 after 11 
years research experience in industry and 
with the U.S. Public Health Service. 




THE GARRETT COUNTY (Md.) Technical Action Panel (TAP) has received a certificate of merit for 
service to rural Maryland in fiscal 1969. The County TAP was cited by the State TAP for arranging 
a consolidated agricultural headquarters near Oakland to provide "one-stop" technical assistance; 
for organizing local and Federal support for land treatment and watershed structures, especially in 
the Little Youghiogheny project: and for spearheading economic development activities in the county. 
Edward R. Keil (right). State Conservationist for the Soil Conservation Service, presents the award 
to William Poffenbarger of Farmers Home Administration (left) and James McHenry of Cooperative 
Extension Service. Other members of the TAP Executive Committee are Bill Nace of SCS, Elbert Riley 
of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, and Paul Mateer of the Maryland Depart- 
ment of Forests and Parks. 




THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY of the Rural Electrification Administration's telephone loan program was 
observed in Washington, D.C, in October. During a banquet sponsored by the U.S. Independent 
Telephone Association, REA Administrator David A. Hamil (left) presented a special Certificate of 
Appreciation to Daniel B. Corman, manager of the REA-financed South Central Rural Telephone 
Cooperative Corporation, Glasglow, Ky. Corman. a member of the REA staff in the early days of the 
telephone program, has completed 65 years in the telephone industry, and is "still going strong." 
Another certificate was presented to Oria L. Moody, AT&T, retired, for assisting REA telephone 
borrowers to become an intregral part of the Nation's telephone industry. In the 20 years since the 
telephone amendment to the Rural Elecrification Act became law, REA has loaned more than $1.6 
billion to 636 commercial companies and 235 cooperatives. The borrowers are providing modern 
dial telephone service to more than 2 million subscribers over 520,000 miles of line in 46 States. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 



DECEMBER 4, 1969 



Vol. XXVIll No. 25 



USDA is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058. 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43 — 16— S072B-1 



.A^ijlj CopTSHDC BMNCH 



-J-^i >-^ 



„.S.DEPT.OF»rii«CUlTl)(tE 
NATIONSUGRICUITUMUIBMM 




EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 




VOL XXVIII NO. 24 
NOVEMBER20,1969 



Secretary Sets Rural Development Policy 



USDA's role to further rural develop- 
ment was recently outlined in a major 
policy statement by Secretary Hardin. 
The role is not only to help solve prob- 
lems that plague rural areas, but also to 
help make rural America attractive 
enough to stem the migration of rural 
families, thus relieving the population 
pressures growing daily in our large 
cities. 

Speaking before the annual meeting 
of the National Association of State Uni- 
versities and Land-Grant Colleges on 
Nov. 10, the Secretary said, "It is not 
enough that we think in terms of im- 
proving conditions and opportunity for 
the people living today in rural America. 
. . . We must make it a matter of urgent 
national policy that we create in and 
around the smaller cities and towns 
sufficiently good employment opportuni- 
ties and living environments that large 
numbers of families will choose to rear 
their children there." 

The Secretary's statement followed 
the Nov. 6 announcement by President 
Nixon of the creation of a Cabinet-level 
Rural Affairs Council. Membership of 
the Coimcil includes : The President, the 
Vice President, the Secretaries of Agri- 
culture, Health, Education, and Welfare, 
Interior, Housing and Urban Develop- 
ment, Labor, and Commerce, the Direc- 
tor of the Office of Economic Oppor- 
tunity, the Director of the Bureau of the 
Budget, and the Chairman of the 
Council of Economic Advisors. The 
President formally established the Rural 
Affairs Council by executive order on 
November 13. 

Secretary Hardin said the role of the 
Council, in addition to bringing with it 
"the dedicated support of the President." 
will provide direction and order in bring- 
ing the resources and services of the 
Federal establishment to bear on prob- 
lems of rural development. 

The Secretary said the Department of 
Agriculture is "moving in several ways 
to meet the challenge that the President 
has put before us." 

Every agency in the Department has 
been directed to provide aggressive 
leadership in its area, assigning appro- 
priate resources and personnel to the 
rural development effort. 



To coordinate these efforts, the Secre- 
tary has established the Departmental 
Rural Development Committee. Under 
the chairmanship of Dr. Thomas K. 
Cowden, Assistant Secretary for Rural 
Development and Conservation, the 
Committee has as its assignment, "to 
develop the vital policies, programs, and 
priorities necessary for the Department 
to carry out its rural development 
mandate." 

Membership of the Committee in- 
cludes administrators and deputies of 
the Farmers Home Administration, the 
Forest Service, the Soil Conservation 
Service, the Rural Electrification Admin- 
istration, and the Federal Extension 
Service. 

Each member agency will have specific 
liaison responsibilities with other Fed- 
eral agencies. For example, the FHA will 
assign key men to coordinate with Hous- 
ing and Urban Development. The De- 
partment will also maintain liaison with 
national organizations to help make 
their programs and services more 
available to rural people and their 
communities. 

While Federal Departments and agen- 
cies can provide assistance through their 
programs and resources, the Secretary 
said, "initiative must invariably come 
from the communities themselves . . . 
State and local policies for urban, subur- 
ban, and rural growth must be decided 
and promoted at the State and local 
levels." He added, "when local commun- 
ity leadership and private enterprise 
have shown the initiative necessary for 
sound development. Government at all 
levels should be willing to help." 

One of the key elements of USDA's 
rural development organization will be 
the USDA Committee for Rural Develop- 
ment to be set up in each State. Each 
State committee, which will elect its own 
officers and develop its own operating 
procedure, will be convened by the 
Director of that State's Cooperative Ex- 
tension Service. Members will include 
representatives of the Forest Service, the 
Soil Conservation Service, the Farmers 
Home Administration, the Rural Electri- 
fication Administration, and the State 
Cooperative Extension Service. 




SECRETARY HARDIN chats during lunch with 
Martha Izquierdo, a student at the Shenandoah 
Elementary School, Miami, Fla. Secretary and 
Mrs. Hardin were guests for lunch at the school 
to kick off National School Lunch week in 
October. 



Virgin Islands To Get Aid 

USDA recently signed a working 
agreement with the Virgin Islands Soil 
and Water Conservation District to pro- 
vide technical assistance to farmers and 
other landowners and operators. 

Under the agreement, agencies of the 
Department will help the district, which 
covers the entire area of the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, to conserve and develop its 
natural resources. The district is eligible 
for funds, services, cost-sharing, and 
credit from Federal. State, local, and 
private sources to help carry out con- 
servation objectives. 

These committees will decide what 
kind of USDA rural development orga- 
nization should be established on a local 
basis and will work closely with State and 
local people in support of comprehensive 
planning and development. 

In urging the partnership of Federal, 
State, and local efforts, the Secretary 
said, "Each American has a role to play 
in determining the destiny of his coun- 
try ... in creating a fuller more attrac- 
tive life for everyone in both rural and 
urban America . . . We can achieve this 
better life by joining together in common 
effort to reach our common and realistic 
goals." 



THIRTY-FIVE USDA COST REDUCERS GET AWARDS 



Thirty-five USDA employees and an 
agency received Special Merit Awards 
November 19 for saving an estimated 
$3.6 million of the taxpayers' money. 
The awards were made at the Depart- 
ment's annual ceremony honoring out- 
standing cost reduction achievement. 

In making the award presentations, 
Secretary Hardin said, "Today we honor 
a select few who have made significant 
contributions to the success of the USDA 
Cost Reduction Program. Through the 
recognition accorded these 35 employees, 
we pay tribute to thousands of other em- 
ployees who, though unsung, have helped 
to improve our operations and to stretch 
our resources this past year." 

At the end of the 1969 fiscal year, 
USDA agencies reported savings through 
operations improvement of $41 million. 
In addition, improved management of 
commodity price support and other pro- 
grams are expected to yield benefits cur- 
rently valued at $225 million. 

Following is a list of award winners: 

Individual Awards 

JAMES D. ABBOTT, SCS, TEMPLE, 
TEX. — For superior management of the 
Great Plains Conservation Program. He 
conducted a special review of all con- 
tracts which resulted in many being 
eliminated and the funds reallocated to 
other essential contract work. Savings: 
$217,200. 

THOMAS L. BURGER, ARS, MINNE- 
APOLIS, MINN. — For developing a sol- 
vent wash for removing insect eggs from 
plant leaves. In one day, ten times as 
many eggs can be gathered for research 
than with the previous hand-picking 
method. Savings: $23,400. 

RAYNOLD O. CANTRELL, C&MS, 
ARLINGTON, VA. — For proposing an 
improved method to record and report 
the results of daily moisture control 
tests in over 450 poultry slaughtering and 
eviscerating plants under Federal inspec- 
tion. Annual savings: $81,400. 

CLAYTON C. CASE, FHA, WASHING- 
TON. D.C. — For performing an in-depth 
analysis and field test which resulted in 
the development of a farm and home 
planning assistance program tailored to 
the needs of each individual and for each 
particular type of loan involved. More 
efficient and effective use was made of 
FHA loan supervisory time and it was 
possible to provide assistance to more 
borrower families than under the pre- 
vious method. Savings: $152,000. 

RANDALL J. COFER, FES, ATHENS, 
GA. — For reducing printing and publi- 
cations costs for the Georgia Coopera- 
tive Extension Service by grouping 
orders, using a new printing process, 
obtaining outside funds to purchase 4-H 



material and selling publications. Sav- 
ings: $32,400. 

URIEL L. CORBIN, FS, PORTLAND, 
OREG. — For assisting in the develop- 
ment and testing of a more compact trail- 
building machine to reduce the cost of 
building trails in high mountain areas. 
Savings: $258,000 annually. 

WILLIAM H. DUBBERT, C&MS, 
ROSSLYN, VA.— For developing a pro- 
cedure for systematic reduction of man- 
power usage in performing inspection 
at meat processing plants. Adequate and 
uniform consumer protection is main- 
tained and the agency is able to meet 
steadily increasing workloads without 
increasing employment proportionately. 
Savings validated to date for 1969 were 
$81,000. This amount is expected to 
increase substantially when data about 
more plants are analyzed. 

W. CLARK EDWARDS, ERS, WASH- 
INGTON, D.C. — For implementing a 
system which provided quick remote 
access to data files maintained by the 
Department of Commerce. Job comple- 
tion time was shortened, capability and 
accuracy increased, professional and 
clerical time saved and need for outside 
contracts eliminated. First year net 
savings: $51,000. 

PAUL B. FOLKS (Deceased), ASCS, 
MANHATTAN, KANS.— For suggesting 
that an annual report of county office 
debts be prepared by computer. For- 
merly, these reports were prepared 
manually by 2900 county offices and con- 
solidated in 50 states and at national 
headquarters. Net savings per year are 
$23,800. 

MICHAEL J. HANLEY, Jr., ASCS, 
SPOKANE, WASH.— For developing a 
clear plastic card holder to be attached 
to typewriters, permitting quick and 
accurate alignment of forms used in an 
optical character recognition system. 
The typist saves about 30 seconds per 
form. Savings of $160,000 were realized 
in preparing seven million forms. The 
manufacturer has adopted the Hanley 
invention and it will now benefit all who 
use these typewriters in optical scanning 
systems. 

O. J. HUMMON, ARS, BELTSVILLE, 
MD. — For developing a mechanical 
device which eliminated the need to 
hand mix specimen materials in the per- 
formance of tests for brucellosis, a cattle 
disease. Savings: $125,000. 

JAMES E. LEE, FHA, WASHINGTON. 
D.C. — For implementing procedures to 
further the delegation of loan approval 
authority to field personnel of lower 
administrative levels. This resulted in 
better service to applicants, more equi- 
table distribution of workload and more 



effective use of all personnel. Savings: 
$237,000. 

DONALD J. LUSK, FHA, SYRACUSE, 
N.Y. — For suggesting the disposition of 
borrower's paid-in-full case folders after 
a one-year retention period instead of 
three years. The results: Improved utili- 
zation of available filing space in 1,674 
county offices and reduced purchase of 
filing equipment. Annual savings: 
$13,400. 

GERTRUDE A. NAPIERALSKI, CEA, 
CHICAGO, ILL.— For suggesting the use 
of automatic data processing equipment 
to eliminate copying worksheets, check- 
ing and proofreading of statistical tables 
on commodity futures trading. Savings: 
$22,800. 

ROY L. PLANT, C&MS, DENTON, 
TEX. — For suggesting that annual meet- 
ings, at which inspection personnel 
received indoctrination on conflict of 
interest and personal conduct, be elimi- 
nated. Instead, each employee is now 
required to submit a signed statement 
each year vouching that he has read and 
understands current instructions on 
these subjects. Savings on travel, salaries 
and overtime were $17,000. 

HUGH W. REYNOLDS, FS, PRINCE- 
TON, W. VA. — For developing a compu- 
ter program (DEFECT) which indicates 
the best way to saw logs for a particular 
end use. Computer simulates, expands 
and projects the research results. Now, 
only one sample of raw lumber (5,000 
board feet) is used for five sawing pat- 
terns. The old methods took five times as 
long and required five times as much raw 
material. Savings: $22,200. 

HENRY J. VICHE, FS, MISSOULA, 
MONT. — For promoting the use of pre- 
cooked frozen meals to feed firefighters 
on the fireline instead of setting up field 
kitchens. A better diet is now served at 
lower cost per meal. Annual savings: 
$68,400. 

J. ALAN WAGAR, FS, PORTLAND, 
OREG. — For developing a method 
whereby visitors complete and deposit a 
registration form which provides accu- 
rate statistics on the usage of developed 
recreational sites. The previous methods, 
using traffic counters, cost six times as 
much. Annual savings: $22,000. 

MICHAEL J. WOLF, ARS, PEORIA, 
ILL. — For developing a rapid and effi- 
cient chemical process for analyzing 
the composition of corn. This method 
replaced several hand operations and 
doubled the output. Savings: $18,600 
annually. 

■Spaniards exploring Mexico in tlie early 
1500's came across the turkey, which had 
been domesticated by the .4ztec Indians, 
and exported the delicious bird to 
Europe. 



Dual Awards 



BOBBY W. ALFORD and CYRIL W. 
HAMILTON, SCS, BROWNWOOD, 
TEX. — For suggesting a better on-site 
screening method to separate samples of 
earthfill materials being tested during 
the construction of f!ood\vater retarding 
dams. Annual savings: $189,000. 

HENRY A. BAUER III and FRANK 
GEARDE, Jr., P&O, WASHINGTON. 
D.C. — For performing two intensive 
value analysis studies which resulted in: 
A timely decision to purchase rather 
than lease copying machines needed for 
the Department's centralized copier 
service; and switching to a less expensive 
and equally effective brand of copying 
machine toner. USDA savings from both 
studies: $79,200. 

ARNOLD J. BROMBERG and WIL- 
LIAM R, EGAN, ASCS, MINNEAPOLIS, 
MINN. — For their suggestion which led 
to new authority being granted to USDA 
to assure lowest transportation costs to 
the government on shipments of butter. 
Purchase orders were amended to require 
industry to use mechanically refrigerated 
rather than ice-cooled equipment. More 
butter can be packed in each freight car 
at lower cost per pound and be better 
protected in transit. Savings: $218,000. 

JOHN A. LIVERMORE and BENNOR 
C. HATCH, SCS, SALT LAKE CITY, 
UTAH. — For their suggestion to use a 
corrosion meter, which they field-tested. 
to inspect the cooling system of auto- 
motive vehicles. This meter tells when it 
is time to flush and change the coolant 
depending on the amount of corrosion, 
if any, in the system. Unnecessary 
changes are eliminated and engine 
repairs reduced. First year savings to 
SCS: $61,000. 

ROY W. PLANTZ and JAMES D. 
KING. C&MS. LOS ANGELES. CALIF.— 
For designing a mobile, rapid defrost unit 
for use in pierside inspections of imported 
meat. Savings: $26,000 annually. 

HENRY J. UHLER, Jr. and DON F. 
MANNS, C&MS, WASHINGTON, D.C— 
For their suggestion to modify purchase 
specifications so that canned pork and 
canned beef could be bought concur- 
rently for the National School Lunch 
Program. This increased industry partic- 
ipation and resulted in larger offerings 
at lower prices. Savings for fiscal year 
1969: $707,000. 

Unit Award 

POULTRY PROCUREMENT GROUP, 
(RICHARD C. LARKIN, Group Leader; 
PIERRE C. BOUCHER; JOHN S. 
STILES; and JOHN R. VANDERHOOF) , 
C&MS, WASHINGTON, D.C— For devel- 




A COMBINE OPERATOR ex- 
amines newly threshed soy- 
beans on an Ohio farm in a 
photograph taken from 
Food For Us All. the 1969 
Yearbook of Agriculture. 
This new publication is the 
70th volume to carry the 
title of Yearbook of Agricul- 
ture, an annual publication 
of USDA since 1894. 



The 1969 Yearbook: Food For Us All 



Readers of the 1969 Yearbook of Agri- 
culture can learn: How to judge the 
freshness of a coconut; how to plan and 
prepare a church supper; about the 
complexities of getting food from farm 
to market to consumer; how USDA's 
food programs work; or a good recipe 
for Bohemian goulash. 

The Yearbook, published November 5, 
is concerned with a subject dear to the 
hearts, health, and pocketbooks of every- 
one — Food For Us All. 

The new publication is a popular 
encyclopedia of food for the consumer. 
It tells the story of food — in terms of the 
products from field to table, nutrients 
from soil and solar system to human 
well-being, and economics from producer 
to consumer. It focuses on the many 

oping a system employing linear pro- 
gramming and computers to determine 
the least cost to the Government on 
purchases of cut up chicken from various 
suppliers being shipped to numerous 
points. This replaced a much slower 
method using desk calculators. Results: 
Nearly 49 million pounds of cut up poul- 
try were purchased in fiscal year 1969 
at savings in excess of $315,000. 

Special Agency Award 

CONSUMER AND MARKETING 
SERVICE. — For an outstanding record 
of achievement in reducing the agency's 
injury frequency rate for five consecutive 
years. Cumulative savings since 1965: 
over $1.3 million; Fiscal year 1969 sav- 
ings: $356,295. 



ways to choose and to use food for good 
nutrition as well as satisfaction and 
enjoyment. 

A total of 62 persons wrote or co- 
authored the Yearbook's 46 chapters. 
Most are USDA specialists but they also 
include persons from other Federal 
agencies. State land-grant universities, 
and industry. 

The 400-page yearbook is divided 
into three major sections. The first, 
"Food From Farm. To You," is about the 
economics of food, from its production 
in the farmer's fields until it reaches the 
consumer in the supermarket or restau- 
rant. It includes chapters on 20 years 
of change in the foods we eat, new foods, 
and the U.S. and world food outlook. 

The second section, "Buying and Cook- 
ing Food," takes major food classes in 
turn — meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, 
cereals, etc. — and discusses such things 
as quality factors, best buys for specific 
purposes, and cooking and storage tech- 
niques to preserve nutritional values. 

"Food and Your Life," the third sec- 
tion, is mainly about nutrition, meal 
planning, and family food buying. 

More than 170 illustrations- — including 
a special 32-page section of color photo- 
graphs — give added interest and infor- 
mation to the handsome yearbook. 

Copies of the new Yearbook of Agri- 
culture may be purchased for $3.50 from 
the Superintendent of Documents, 
Government Printing Office, Washington, 
D.C. 20402. Limited number of copies are 
supplied to Members of Congress for free 
distribution. Copies are not available 
from USDA. 



A Loaded Shell 

An "empty" snail shell, brought home 
by an Ohio resident as a souvenir of a 
trip to Hawaii, began crawling around 
the house. The shell and its snail-in- 
residence were given to a Canton, Ohio, 
woman who fed her pet well and watched 
it grow to more than five inches in 
length. 

When the snail produced more than 
100 offspring, its owner wrote to the 
Hawaiian Malacological Society for 
information on the care and feeding of 
her snail colony. 

By airmail special delivery, Mrs. Ibby 
Harrison, corresponding secretary of the 
Society, warned that the pets were 
undoubtedly giant African snails and 
should be destroyed at once. 

Inspector A. B. Drobnik with the 
Agricutural Research Service's Plant 
Quarantine Division in Cleveland visited 
Canton and found the advice had been 
scrupulously followed. 

Recently Mrs. Harrison was awarded a 
certificate of appreciation by the Plant 
Quarantine Division for her prompt and 
effective action. 

The destruction of the snails, the 
followup inspection, and the award all 
made very good sense. 

The giant African snail is a noto- 
riously destructive pest. It combines 
size — some snails grow to six inches in 
length and two inches in diameter — with 
a voracious appetite for all types of 
plants and an ability to produce offspring 
in prolific and amazing numbers. 

One group of snails — progeny of 
another "souvenir" from Hawaii^ 
recently received national publicity as 
they appeared to be eating their way 
through a suburban neighborhood of 
Miami, Fla. 

Hawaii is the only State where the 
pests are established. Even though they 
make spectacular souvenirs, the snails 
cannot legally be brought into mainland 
States. 



APPOINTMENTS 

JOSEPH R. HANSON, an executive 
long experienced in agricultural credit 
and the milling industry, was recently 
named .4ssistant Deputy Administrator of 
the Farmers Home .4dministration. 

Hanson, who is a native of Elgin, Iowa, 
joins the agency after 9 years as a man- 
agerial officer in a milling firm and long 
prior experience in credit systems of the 
FH.4 and the Farm Credit .Administration. 
Most recently he was vice president of the 
milling company subsidiary in Montreal, 
Quebec. 





EUGENE J. MOOS 

USDA INSPECTOR HONORED 
BY CUSTOMS BUREAU 

A USDA employee and an employee 
of the Immigration and Naturalization 
Service recently shared honors for their 
roles in the seizure by the U.S. Bureau 
of Customs of drugs worth more than 
$7 million on the illegal retail market. 

At ceremonies in Laredo, Tex., Eugene 
J. Moos, Plant Quarantine Inspector with 
the Agricultural Research Service, and 
Jack L. Morgan, Immigration Inspector, 
received special certificates of award 
from Customs Commissioner Myles J. 
Ambrose, together with bonuses of $250 
each. The men were cited for their 
"alertness and efficiency" in the case 
which involved seizure of 7 pounds 2 
ounces of cocaine. It was, according to 
the Bureau of Customs, "one of the 
largest, if not the largest cocaine seizure 
ever made on the Mexican border." 

In a report of the incident, the Bureau 
of Customs stated that on July 30, 1969, 
the two inspectors were working at the 
International Bridge at Laredo checking 
vehicular traffic coming into the United 
States from Mexico. 

During primary inspection of vehicles 
at the border checking station. Inspector 
Morgan's suspicions were aroused by the 
nervousness of an unlikely suspect — a 
polite, well-dressed, middle-aged woman 
driving an expensive 1969 automobile. He 
directed the driver to a parking area 
where Inspector Moos was checking 
vehicles diverted from the primary 
checking lanes. During a thorough 
search, the USDA inspector found six 
packages under the rear seat of the car. 
A field test by a Customs Inspector 
revealed the packages contained cocaine. 



Hijackers Hamstrung 

Several employees of the Consumer 
and Marketing Service recently compli- 
cated the lives of some hijackers. 

A shipment of 961 cases of canned 
meat products from Yugoslavia failed to 
pass C&MS import inspection at New 
Haven, Conn., after being trucked there 
from port of entry in Boston. As ordered 
by C&MS officials, the cases of "poten- 
tially dangerous" meat were repacked 
in a truck under seal for transfer back 
to Boston and back to Yugoslavia. 

But hijackers struck before the truck- 
load left New Haven. 

The Compliance and Evaluation staff 
of C&MS's Consumer Protection Pro- 
gram immediately went into action. Meat 
retailers and wholesalers were notified 
of the theft, given details for identifying 
the hijacked cases, and warned to check 
for the official USDA inspection mark 
before buying any Yugoslavian canned 
meat products. Information on the 
hijacking was furnished to news media; 
and C&E staffers, in cooperation with the 
Federal Bureau of Investigation and 
other Federal and State officials, began 
a widespread and thorough search for 
the stolen shipment. 

In Hartford, Conn. C&E compliance 
officer Mike Cassala worked with the 
FBI in conducting a "compliance re- 
view" in area food stores. Compliance 
officers Max Spieler and James DeFran- 
cisco in New York City, Frank Nuite in 
Albany, and Dick Garrity in Boston 
made similar checks in their areas. 

At the C&E Philadelphia office, John 
Gould, C&E Officer in Charge for the 
Northeast, and his secretary, Rita 
Schiliro, kept a telephone vigil — includ- 
ing over the weekend — in case any 
information was received on the missing 
truck. 

A little over a week after the hijacking, 
the FBI reported all but 36 cases of the 
canned meat had been located in 
Wallingford, Conn. 

According to L. L. Gast, C&E Staff 
Director in Washington, D.C., this is the 
first time the C&E staff has been involved 
in a case of the hijacking of a "poten- 
tially dangerous" product. 

The woman was convicted by a jury 
in Laredo on counts of smuggling and- 
possession of drugs. 

Customs officials noted that Moos had 
been responsible for a number of impor- 
tant Customs seizures during recent 
months, inoluding the seizure of five 
pounds of marihuana and 16 grams of 
heroin from five suspects who were later 
convicted. 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

NOVEMBER 20, 1969 Vol. XXVIII No. 24 

4 



USDA Is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting It may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible: for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent. Editor of USDA, INF, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



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VOL XXVIII NO. 26 
DECEMBER 18, 1969 



A THANK YOU" TO EMPLOYEES 

I am delighted to pass on to the employees of USDA a "Thank You" from President 
Nixon. 

As I have said many times, we in USDA fully support the President in his deter- 
mination to make all Government programs responsive and effective to the end that 
the public is better served. 

To accomplish that goal, the President and I need your help. I urge all employees 
to maintain the outstanding record of the Department in ideas and proposals for 
more economical and efficient operations. By working together, we can make USDA 
an example for others to follow. —CLIFFORD M. HARDIN 

Secretary of Agriculture 



THE WHITE HOUSE 

WAS H I N GTO N 



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October 29, 1969 ^^1\0HN^ ^"'^ 






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RtCORDS 



In the last fiscal year more employees than ever before received 
awards for their superior w^ork and for their constructive sugges- 
tions to improve Government operations. A new record was set 
by the $195 million in benefits from employee ideas that saved 
man-hours, conserved supplies and reduced costs. 

These outstanding results could not have been achieved without 
teamwork and extra effort by many people at inany levels of our 
Federal organizations. I am delighted to send a hearty and very 
personal "Thank You!" to everyone in Government for their con- 
tributions to this record. 

In many areas of importance to our citizens, the Government 
must carry out new functions and achieve new or more demand- 
ing objectives. It is crucial that we search constantly for the 
most economical, the most efficient, and the most effective 
procedures to carry out these missions. 

I deeply appreciate your help in this effort. I am confident that 
we will continue to improve this record of achievement. 




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Christmas Message 

As we observe our first Christmas 
as associates in the Department of 
Agriculture, please accept my heart- 
felt appreciation for your dedicated 
eflorts and accomplishments. Your 
achievements have been in keeping 
with the great traditions of this 
Department. 

In taking stock of the year now 
ending, we of the Department can 
look back with some pride on our 
accomplishments. But let us rather 
look ahead to 1970 witli a renewed 
resolution to continue to serve agri- 
culture, and America, to our best 
ability. 

The Nation has a new awareness 
of the problem of hunger and mal- 
nutrition in .America. President 
Nixon has made dramatic recom- 
mendations designed to "put an end 
to hunger in the United States." 
The fact that we have a major role 
to play in carrying out this great 
humanitarian effort should bring a 
great sense of satisfaction to all of 
us. 

We must continue to concern 
ourselves in every possible way to 
correct the inadequacies in farm 
income. Some sr .ins were made in 
1969. May they be greater in 1970. 

The development of rural .Amer- 
ica as part of a new national growth 
policy offers unprecedented oppor- 
tunities to improve the lot of those 
who have, to date, been by-passed 
by recent technological develop- 
ments. 

These programs and n'.any others 
provide those of us fortunate 
enough to be associated with the 
USD.A with unusual responsibilities 
for improving the lot of people — 
at home and abroad. 

My best wishes and those of my 
family go to you and your families 
at this Yuletide Season. 



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SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE 



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DAVID K. THOMAS, USDA's 
first "Project Transition" em- 
ployee, looks over an IBM 
System 360 Computer. Thom- 
as will be learning to program 
such computers in the months 
ahead as part of his new job 
with ARS in Beltsville, Md. 



Future Looks Good To Army Veteran 



Cooperation between USDA and the 
U.S. Army has given an Army veteran a 
leg up on a promising career. The vet- 
eran, David K. Thomas of Rockville, Md., 
went to work in October for the Agricul- 
tural Research Service at Beltsville, Md., 
as the first USDA employee-trainee par- 
ticipating in Project Transition. 

Project Transition is a program de- 
signed to expand job skills of servicemen 
about to be discharged from active duty. 
The idea is to ease the transition to civil- 
ian life of men whose military speciality 
has limited application to nonmilitary 
occupations. 

Training started for Thomas in July 
while he was still in the military at Ft. 
Meade, Md. While doing limited military 
duty — and still on the Army payroll — the 
young man spent half of his working day 
with ARS at Beltsville learning basic 
skills in programming and in USDA pro- 
cedures. Following his discharge from the 
Army and now working for ARS, he is 
continuing his training to be a program- 
mer under a home study plan furnished 
by USDA. At the same time, the former 
Army man has office duties to perform 
and is getting practical experience in pro- 
gramming. 

Earlier, another serviceman, Sgt. Roy 
E. Grunwald of Cleveland, Wis., partici- 
pated in Project Transition training at 
Beltsville while still on active duty with 
the Army. However, unlike Thomas, he 
did not continue the training after dis- 
charge from service. 

Dr. Frank Dickinson, ARS Dairy Herd 

Improvement Investigations leader and 

Thomas' supervisor, thinks highly of the 

Lorogram and of Thomas' performance 

tince being with ARS. 

^The new USDA employee feels Project 

insition is a great opportunity for men 

fcg separated from the service to learn 

jil skills, gain a foothold in his future 

ipf employment, and establish a good 



Project Transition was initiated as a 
pilot program in 1967 and went into full 
swing last year at all major military in- 
stallations in the United States. It pro- 
vides for formal education at schools and 
universities, practical training in special- 
ized skills, and on-the-job experience — 
such as USDA is furnishing. 

ARS plans to expand its participation 
with Thomas as the first of what it hopes 
will be many veterans taking advantage 
of Project Transition. 



Yo, Ho, Ho, And A Bucket of Bugs 

Ladybugs by the gallon bucket form 
one agronomist's answer to a problem- of 
producing a pest-free crop of pine 
seedlings. 

The pest in question is the pine bark 
aphid, accidentally introduced from Eu- 
rope some years ago. This minute insect 
poses a serious threat to tree nursery 
stock. Heavy infestations make normally 
lush seedlings appear to have been 
whitewashed. 

Fortunately for the 20 million seedlings 
at the H. W. Toumey Nursery in the 
Ottawa National Forest, Watersmeet, 
Mich., Supervisor Stuart Slayton and his 
team of Forest Service technicians dis- 
covered that the common ladybug would 
rather eat aphids than anything else. 
One ladybug will eagerly devour 40 to 50 
aphids each day, as well as snacking on 
various other insects, eggs, and larvae. 

Slayton and his associates have arrived 
at a formula of about one gallon of 
healthy ladybugs to 3 to 5 acres of in- 
fested seedlings. 

"Besides being 'dirt cheap'," Slayton 
points out, "this method of eradicating 
destructive forest pests is safe and easy 
and will not upset the balance of nature." 



FHA Raises Minimums 
On insured Notes 

Rising demand on the national secu- 
rities market for Farmers Home Admin- 
istration loan notes has prompted the 
agency to establish new minimums on 
the amount of orders accepted. 

Effective Dec. 1, order minimums for 
FHA Insured Notes were fixed at $25,000 
for 1- or 2-year commitments of in- 
vestors' funds and $15,000 for longer-term 
commitments up to 25 years. The previ- 
ous minimum order was $10,000 in all 
categories. There is no maximum on the 
amount of an order. 

The insured notes represent a $2 bil- 
lion offering on the U.S. money market 
this fiscal year. They cover loans ad- 
vanced by FHA for family farm owner- 
ship, rural town-and-country housing, 
and rural community projects such as 
water and sewer systems. 

Sales of insured notes totaled $945 
million in the 12 months of fiscal 1969. 
The pace has increased this fiscal year 
to the point that sales totaled more than 
$625 million in 4% months. More than 
$250 million of that amount was moved 
in 7 weeks of October and November fol- 
lowing the increase of interest rates to 
keep pace with prevailing rates on the 
commercial money market. 

Current rates of yield on FHA insured 
notes are: 8% percent for investment 
of 10 through 25 years; 8% percent for 
3 through 9 years; and 8^2 percent for 
1 or 2 years. 

FHA Administrator James V. Smith 
said the agency's new order minimums 
will result in improved service to in- 
vestors and generate more long-term fi- 
nancing of the rural improvements sup- 
ported by FHA programs. 




WILBURN "BILL" WILLIAMSON of Huntsville, 
Tex., (left) is congratulated by Assistant Secre- 
tary Clarence D. Palmby for completion of a 2- 
year tour of duty in Vietnam as an agricultural 
advisor to the Saigon Government. V^iiiiamson is 
one of 23 Federal Extension Service employees 
in Vietnam under a joint USDA/AID program to 
help Vietnamese farmers increase agricultural 
production. Before joining FES, Williamson was 
a farmer field man and county office manager 
in Texas for the Agricultural Stabilization and 
Conservation Service. He recently returned to 
Vietnam to begin a second 2-year tour. 




MINIMUM TILLAGE, a new method of farming, is giving good yields and maximum soil protection, 
according to the Soil Conservation Service. The new method is soil preparation and seed planting 
with the least necessary tillage. This keeps the soil from blowing or washing away. The airplane 
pictured above is one of the various methods of applying minimum tillage. The plane is planting 
wheat in a standing field of corn a month before harvest. The corn will be harvested and the wheat 
will grow and ripen for harvest among the corn stalks. The farmer not only has two successive 
harvests, but his land is undisturbed by tilling and has soil cover. Both practices protect the soil 
from erosion by wind and water. 

ARS FINDS PLANTS CAN CAUSE BIRTH DEFECTS 



Birth defects in animals were once laid 
to defective genes. Since 1960 Agricul- 
tural Research Service scientists have 
been showing that they are also caused 
by seemingly innocuous plants the 
mother eats during pregnancy. 

And these animal studies help explain 
certain human birth defects. 

So thinks ARS veterinarian Wayne 
Binns, director of the Poisonous Plant 
Laboratory, Logan, Utah. The relation- 
ship between the mother's food intake 
and fetal development is not absolute, 
however — results depend on the type of 
chemical involved, the environment, and 
the stage of pregnancy. 

One of the most revealing animal de- 
fects meaningful to human medicine is 
cyclopamine poisoning. 

Investigations by Binns' staff showed 
that cyclopamine is carried in false helle- 
bore (Veratrum californicum) . Although 
large amounts of this plant can stagger 
or kill a ewe, smaller amounts cause no 
obvious symptoms in the ewe. 

The birth defects that result have some 
startling resemblances to the infamous 
side-effects from the tranquilizer thalid- 
omide on human babies. When ewes eat 
false hellebore on the 14th day of preg- 
nancy, their lambs are born with a Cy- 
clops eye (one eye in the center of the 
head) . If ewes eat the weed later in ges- 
tation, lambs get leg deformities. 

Another case of birth defects discov- 
ered in farm animals concerns cows graz- 
ing beanweed, also called lupine. 



The deformity which results had been 
laid originally to defective genes or to 
nutritional deficiencies. Yet the ARS 
scientists showed that certain species of 
lupine are the cause. 

Lathyrus plants, certain species of peas, 
new being investigated has double sig- 
nificance for man. In the Middle East, 
humans as well as animals eat this 
plant. 

ARS scientists working with Binns on 
poisonous plant problems are livestock 
specialist L. F. J canes, physiologist A. E. 
Johnson, chemist R. F. Keeler, and vet- 
erinarian K. R. Van Kampen. They think 
that discoveries of birth defects linked 
to natural foods may well be important 
landmarks in the ultimate prevention of 
much suffering and hardship in both man 
and animals. 



Plentiful Foods 

USDA lists as Plentiful Foods for Jan- 
uary: Fresh oranges, orange products, 
grapefruit, apples, winter pears, canned 
tomatoes and tomato products, broiler- 
fryers, dry beans, dry peas, and lentils. 



ECONOMIST TO HEAD 
NEW USDA AGENCY 

Dr. Quentin West, career USDA em- 
ployee, was recently named by Secretary 
Hardin as Administrator of the newly 
established Foreign Economic Develop- 
ment Service. 

Prior to his appointment, West was 
head of the Foreign Regional Analysis 
Division of the Economic Research Serv- 
ice. He has also served within the same 
Division in the positions of deputy di- 
rector, chief of the Far East Branch, and 
assistant chief of the Africa and Middle 
East Branch. He has traveled in all re- 
gions of the world and has represented 
the U.S. in various world conferences, in- 
cluding the bi-annual conferences of the 
Food and Agriculture Organization of 
the United Nations. 

Before joining USDA in 1956, West was 
an economist with the Organization of 
American States in Costa Rico and Peru 
and was on the staff of Cornell University 
and Utah State University. 

The new agency headed by West is con- 
cerned with international economic de- 
velopment through technical assistance 
and training of foreign agriculturists. 
Previously, this work was handled by the 
International Agricultural Development 
Service which became a part of the For- 
eign Agricultural Service earlier this 
year. 



E.\CH .AMERICAN eats nearly tliree- 
qiiarters of a ton of food eaeli 365 days. 
Tliis amounts to nearly 3 tons a year for 
a family of four or 150 million Ions a 
year to feed us all. 



Progress on the Great Plains 

Nearly 2 million acres of unsuitable 
cropland have been returned to grass and 
more than 1 million acres of depleted and 
damaged rangeland have been reseeded 
under the Great Plains Conservation 
Program. 

This and other information on the 
progress of the 12-year-old program is 
included in a report recently issued by 
USDA. 

The report, a revision of a 1965 Soil 
Conservation Service publication, says 
more than 31,000 farmers and ranchers 
in 424 counties of the 10 Great Plains 
States have participated in the conserva- 
tion program. 

Authorized by Congress in 1956. the 
program enables Great Plains landown- 
ers to minimize the effects of drought 
and other emergencies through cost- 
sharing and technical aid from SCS. 

Legislation signed by President Nixon 
on Nov. 19 extends the program to 1981. 
It also adds cost-sharing for fish and 
wildlife developments, recreation facil- 
ities, and the abatement of agriculture- 
related pollution to the more than 40 
conservation practices available to land- 
owners. Among these are: Livestock 
water development, terracing, wind- 
breaks, and irrigation improvement. 



3 



ACHIEVEMENTS 

TIMOTHY L. MOUNTS, a chemist at the 
Agricultural Research Service Northern 
Utilization Research Laboratory, Peoria, 
111., has received the American Oil Chem- 
ists' Society's Bond Award for excellence 
in content and delivery of a research paper. 

His co-authors, DR. HERBERT J. DUT- 
TON, also a chemist at the Peoria labora- 
tory, and DR. DONALD GLOVER, profes- 
sor of chemistry at Bradley University, 
received award certificates. 

The award-winning paper describes stud- 
ies of the conjugation reaction in two fatty 
acids from seed oils. These two affect the 
flavor stability of liquid oil products, like 
salad dressing and cooking oil. 

***** 

DR. LEANDER S. STUART, Pesticides 
Regulation Division, Agricultural Research 
Service, Washington, D.C., was recently 
chosen president of the Association of Of- 
ficial Agricultural Chemists. 

Another ARS scientist, DR. L. F. OR- 
TENZIO, Beltsville, Md., was named Fellow 
of the Association for his achievements and 
service. 

***** 

WEAR K. SCHOONOVER, Director of 
the Prodiu-tion and Stabilization Division, 
Office of the General Council, was recently 
selected by the Football Writers Associa- 
tion of America as a member of the All- 
Southwest football team of the past 50 
years (1919-1968). 

Schoonover played football at the Uni- 
versity of Arkansas during the 1927, 1928, 
and 1929 seasons. In 1929 he was named 
All-America by the late Grantland Rice. 
Other honors accorded the football star 
include induction into the Arkansas Hall 
of Fame in 1959 and into the National 
Football Hall of Fame in 1967. 



DR. C. O. WILLITS, who recently retired 
after 30 years as a USDA scientist, has been 
named winner of the 13th Harvey W. Wiley 
Award. 

Dr. Willits, an outstanding authority on 
maple syrup, headed maple research at the 
Agricultural Research Service's Eastern 
Utilization Laboratory, Wyndmoor, Pa., 
since the late 1940's. He is credited with 
revitalizing the American maple syrup in- 
dustry through his many developments 
and improvements in the gathering of sap 
and the making of syrup, 

***** 

DR. J. H. WEINBERGER. Fresno, 
Calif., DR. THOMAS W. W HITAKER, La 
Jolla, Calif., DR. JOSEPH R. FURR, In- 
dio, Calif., DR. NEIL W, STUART, and 
DR. D. H. SCOTT, Beltsville, Md.. all of 
Crops Research Division, Agricultural Re- 
search Service, were recently elected as 
Fellows of the American Society for Horti- 
cultural Science for their outstanding 
achievements and service. 



DAVID GRANAHAN, chief of the USDA 
Exhibits Service, Washington, D.C., was 
recently selected Art Director of the Year 
by the Society of Federal Artists and 
Designers. 



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"^"■••t^ite 



AXEL L. FREDERIKSEN, sole Forest Service em- 
ployee at the agency's Institute of Tropical For- 
estry project, St. Croix, the Virgin Islands, re- 
cently received a citation from the U.S. Weather 
Bureau for his work as a volunteer weather ob- 
server. He is the first observer in the Caribbean 
Area to receive the award. His volunteer work 
included personal observations and coordination 
of statistics from other volunteers, since the 
Weather Bureau has no office in the Virgin Is- 
lands. In the above photograph, Frederiksen (left) 
is presented the citation by Virgin Islands Gov- 
ernor Melvin H. Evans as Robert Calvesbert of 
the Weather Bureau looks on. 



NEW OHE CHIEF NAMED 

Jack W. Bain of Alexandria, Va., was 
recently named as Chief of USDA's Of- 
fice of Hearing Examiners. 

He succeeds Benjamin M. Holstein who 
retired after 33 years of Government 
service. 

Bain, a native of Shawnee, Okla., has 
been a Hearing Examiner since 1946. He 
was one of four examiners named when 
the Office of Hearing Examiner was es- 
tablished in December of that year. 

Previously, he was assistant to the De- 
partment's Judicial Officer and had 
served as senior attorney in the Office of 
the Sohcitor. 

The Office of Hearing Examiners con- 
ducts hearings and performs related 
duties under various laws administered 
by USDA which regulate the marketing of 
agricultural commodities and products. 



Ten other USD.\ artists won awards at 
the 5th .Annual Exhibit held by the Society 
in Washington, D.C. Thev are: GEORGE 
B.\KA, JAMES O'ROURKE, J.AMES 
SCHLEYER and GORDON THOMAS, all 
of the Exhibit Service, Office of Informa- 
tion; BILL BROUARD, MARCIA BLAIR 
EDDINS, JANICE PROCTOR, all with Arts 
and Graphics Division, Office of Informa- 
tion; POLLY CICA, Agricultural Research 
Service; JERRY P.WEY, Farm Credit Ad- 
ministration; and PAUL STEUCKE, Forest 
Service. 



APPOINTMENTS 

PHILIP L. THORNTON, Associate Chief 
for Cooperative Forestry Programs for the 
Forest Service, was recently named director 
of the agency's Northeastern Area for State 
and Private Forestry. He succeeds James K. 
Vessey who is retiring after nearly 37 years 
with the Forest Service. 

As director, Thornton will be responsible 
for projects involving assistance to State 
foresters, private forest owners, and other 
public agencies and citizen organizations 
dedicated to protection and management 
of forest resources. 

The Northeastern Area, with headquar- 
ters in Upper Darby, Pa., includes the 20- 
State region making up the northeastern 
quadrant of the U.S. 

***** 

Two employees of the Agricultural Re- 
search .Service were recently assigned to 
Rotterdam, The Netherlands, to do re- 
search aimed at expanding exports of 
.American agricultural products. 

RUSSELL H. HINDS, JR., industry 
economist in the Transportation and Fa- 
cilities Research Division, Fresno, Calif., 
will be concerned with transportation, 
packaging, and handling of U.S. products 
for European markets. DR. WILLI.4M G. 
CHACE, horticulturist with the Market 
Quality Research Division, Orlando, Fla., 
will conduct research to improve the 
quality of perishable foods and other 
agricultural commodities from the U.S. 

Both men are attached to the U.S. Con- 
sulate in Rotterdam. 



REA Administrator Urges 
Pollution Control 

The Rural Electrification Administra- 
tion has urged REA-financed electric 
systems to take a positive approach to 
pollution control. 

In a message to 52 borrowers operating 
steam generating facilities, REA Admin- 
istrator David A. Hamil recommended 
that top-level management of the sys- 
tems keep abreast of established and de- 
veloping environmental standards. 

"This knowledge should be an impor- 
tant consideration in planning plant ad- 
ditions, locating and designing systerii 
facilities, and in operating the system 
so that the new standards can be com- 
plied with in an orderly fashion, avoiding 
crash programs and costly restrictions on 
system operation," Hamil said. 

The Administrator also pointed out 
that "growing public concern and the 
rapid growth of energy consumption are 
making the tasks of finding suitable sites 
for power plants and obtaining rights- 
of-way for lines a major problem for all 
segments of the electric utility industry." 



USDA EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER 

DECEMBER 18, 1969 Vol. XXVIII No. 26 



USDA Is published fortnightly for distribution to employees only, by direction of the Secre- 
tary of Agriculture, as containing administrative information required for the proper transac- 
tion of the public business. Retirees who write to the Editor requesting it may continue to 
get USDA. Please write instead of phoning whenever possible; for rush orders, call Ext. 2058, 
Mrs. Lillie Vincent, Editor of USDA, INF. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. 



c43— 16— 80735-1